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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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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: cold · wake · jam · bulb · cabinet · rash · straw · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rest — a break
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. wake — a trail
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cold — an illness

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