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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.

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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: staff · track · spring · hand · bulb · mouse · rule · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. staff — employees
  3. track — a song
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rule — government
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. track — to keep track
  11. spring — of water
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. staff — employees
  14. hand — in cards
  15. staff — a stick
  16. spring — the season
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rule — a law
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. track — a path
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. hand — help
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bulb — for light

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