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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mate — to breed
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fall — the season
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. clip — for paper
  12. firm — steady
  13. cap — a hat
  14. clip — a video
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mate — a partner
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rest — a break
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bulb — for light
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. racket — for tennis

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