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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.

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: pop · cap · file · ruler · bulb · cabinet · cold · mug

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pop — soda
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. file — a tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cabinet — ministers

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