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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mug — a cup
  9. board — to get on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. cap — a hat
  15. board — a committee
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mug — a face
  18. bulb — for light

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