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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: cabinet · bulb · hide · court · toast · dip · snap · stem

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. toast — bread
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. court — for sport
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. snap — to click

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