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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
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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: rash · cabinet · pass · cell · foot · spring · shower · bulb

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. spring — of water
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rash — a series
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spring — the season
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bulb — for light
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. shower — rain
  24. rash — on the skin

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