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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 116 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cap — a lid
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wind — moving air
  10. band — a ring
  11. stem — to come from
  12. object — to protest
  13. bulb — for light
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. cap — of ice
  20. band — a music group
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. object — a thing
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. object — an aim

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