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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.

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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: bear · cap · chair · bulb · spell · dip · lash · pound

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. spell — magic
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — letters
  12. cap — a hat
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cap — of ice

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