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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. spell — a short time
  4. tube — a container
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. race — the arms race
  8. spell — letters
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cap — a lid
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spell — magic
  14. race — humankind
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. race — a contest
  17. cap — of ice
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. date — the fruit
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mouse — for a computer

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