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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: nail · cabinet · mug · hide · bulb · pitcher · fork · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mug — a cup
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mug — a face
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fork — in a road
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bowl — a football final

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