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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 120 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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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 · ruler · stick · hide · temple · bay · rash · bulb

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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 lid
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cap — a hat
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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