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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: rock · face · bulb · cabinet · fall · lean · fan · cell

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — thin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fall — the season
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rock — music
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lean — to bend
  21. face — to confront
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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