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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fall — the season
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. net — after costs
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cap — a hat
  12. net — in sport
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bound — certain
  21. net — for catching
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cap — a lid

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