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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · rash · chest · straw · cabinet · nail · can · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chest — a box
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. can — a tin
  18. rash — a series
  19. can — a tin
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chest — of your body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. can — to be able to

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