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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: roll · cabinet · deal · bulb · last · cold · chip · kick

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. last — finally
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. last — to go on
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. deal — to handle
  15. chip — to eat
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. roll — a list
  19. cold — not warm
  20. last — final
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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