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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.

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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: bulb · kick · cold · cabinet · wave · pit · coach · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. foot — a measure
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kick — in football
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cold — an illness
  24. kick — with a leg

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