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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 116 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: present · hide · rash · shower · bulb · object · mine · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cap — a lid
  4. object — to protest
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. object — a thing
  12. mine — for digging
  13. present — a gift
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rash — hasty
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. shower — rain
  22. object — an aim
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rash — a series

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