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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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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: chip · patient · cabinet · cap · object · key · bulb · wind

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. object — to protest
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chip — to eat
  5. object — a thing
  6. cap — a lid
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wind — moving air
  12. key — the most important part
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. object — an aim
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bulb — of a plant

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