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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: arm · cabinet · date · mug · bowl · bulb · chest · squash

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. date — the fruit
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bulb — for light
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. chest — a box
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. squash — the sport
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cabinet — ministers

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