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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.

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: cap · pound · file · swing · wake · leaves · bulb · rush

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pound — a weight
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. file — a document
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. file — a tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cap — a lid
  20. file — a line of people
  21. swing — music
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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