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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 · bore · hand · hide · swing · race · bulb

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. race — the arms race
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. race — humankind
  6. cap — of ice
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. race — a contest
  19. hand — in cards
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. swing — 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