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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: bulb · swing · content · cabinet · stem · hide · tube · land

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. stem — to come from
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bulb — for light
  10. content — the amount
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. swing — to play on
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. land — ground
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. content — happy
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. tube — a container

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