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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
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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: bulb · spring · mug · charge · cabinet · row · wind · cap

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cap — of ice
  3. row — to paddle
  4. spring — of water
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — in control
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. row — a line
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cap — a lid
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. mug — a face
  21. charge — a price
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bulb — for light
  24. charge — electricity

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