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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: bear · cap · net · lean · arm · tube · bulb · content

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. tube — the underground
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — the animal
  8. net — for catching
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cap — a lid
  11. tube — a container
  12. content — happy
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. net — after costs
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. net — in sport
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cap — a hat
  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