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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lean — thin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bass — low music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bass — the instrument

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