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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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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: bulb · cap · content · tube · mark · wake · degree · lash

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. cap — a lid
  4. content — the amount
  5. degree — an amount
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. content — happy
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. tube — a container
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mark — a grade
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mark — a trace

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