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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: ball · cap · lie · can · cell · bulb · arm · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pop — soda
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cap — a lid
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cap — a hat
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cell — a phone
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pop — music

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