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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: present · jam · calf · cabinet · dip · cold · bulb · face

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. face — to confront
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — an illness
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. present — the time now
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. dip — to sink
  14. present — there
  15. bulb — for light
  16. face — to point toward
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. present — a gift
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. calf — of the leg

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