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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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