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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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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 · plane · bay · bowl · lie · pitch · bulb · wind

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bulb — for light
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bay — a horse colour

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