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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · cabinet · bay · bulb · hand · chair · perch · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chair — a leader
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. roll — a list
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. present — a gift
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. present — there
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com