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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: present · bulb · rush · cabinet · chest · firm · face · rock

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. firm — steady
  3. rock — a stone
  4. firm — decided
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. face — part of the head
  7. firm — a company
  8. present — a gift
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chest — of your body
  16. present — there
  17. face — to confront
  18. chest — a box
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chest — of your body
  23. present — the time now
  24. rock — music

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