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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: rock · toast · mug · stick · fan · suit · cabinet · bulb

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — music
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bulb — for light

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