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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.

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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: game · bulb · pass · kid · row · cabinet · shower · chair

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. kid — to tease
  3. game — wild animals
  4. chair — a leader
  5. game — a match
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. row — a line
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. kid — child
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — to paddle
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pass — a permit

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