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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spring — of water
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. kick — in football
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cap — a hat
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cap — a lid
  14. object — an aim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. object — to protest
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. object — a thing
  19. pop — soda
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pop — to visit
  23. spring — the season
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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