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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. perch — the fish
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — the sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — to crush
  16. capital — a city
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bulb — for light
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. capital — money

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