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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: kid · race · bound · toast · ruler · object · bulb · cabinet

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. object — a thing
  3. bulb — for light
  4. object — an aim
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kid — child
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kid — to tease
  18. object — to protest
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bulb — for light
  21. race — humankind
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. toast — bread

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