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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
468
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 · mug · charge · bark · rash · hide · bulb · race

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bark — to shout
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. race — humankind
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. mug — a cup
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rash — hasty
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. race — a contest
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mug — a face
  24. race — the arms race

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