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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · nail · fall · bulb · cap · rush · squash · leaves

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kid — to tease
  4. fall — to drop
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rush — hurry
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. kid — child
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cap — a lid
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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