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

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kick — in football
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spell — letters
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cap — of ice
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. spell — a short time
  11. capital — money
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. spell — magic
  14. cap — a lid
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. capital — a city
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kick — a thrill

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