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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 116 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: tube · season · cabinet · plane · mine · chip · bulb · face

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — to point toward
  3. season — of the year
  4. chip — to eat
  5. face — to confront
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tube — a container
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. face — part of the head
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. chip — for betting
  23. tube — the underground
  24. plane — in geometry

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