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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
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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: cabinet · bulb · mouse · band · wave · can · field · pass

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. field — a subject
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. field — farmland
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. field — for sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. band — a music group
  24. can — a tin

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