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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: ball · mate · season · saw · cabinet · bulb · fork · cold

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. season — of the year
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. season — in sport
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mate — a friend
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. ball — a dance
  24. season — to add flavour

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