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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: mate · cabinet · patient · bulb · rule · hide · bass · object

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. object — an aim
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. object — to protest
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rule — a law
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rule — government
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. object — a thing
  23. bass — low music
  24. patient — a sick person

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