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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.

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: cabinet · toast · game · bulb · spring · staff · chest · suit

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. game — a match
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. spring — a coil
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. staff — a stick
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. toast — bread
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chest — a box
  13. suit — to fit
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — of water
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spring — the season
  18. chest — of your body
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. suit — in cards
  24. staff — employees

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