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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kid — child
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cap — a hat
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cap — a lid
  12. can — a tin
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. spring — of water
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. spring — the season
  19. can — to be able to
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mug — a face

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