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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. chip — to eat
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — for betting
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — to sink
  11. perch — the fish
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fall — the season
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cap — a lid
  19. plane — a tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cap — a hat

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