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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.

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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: nail · cap · pound · bulb · spell · straw · fan · mark

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pound — a weight
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spell — magic
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. spell — letters
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — on a finger

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