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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — a price
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. band — a music group
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lie — to recline

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