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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: net · bulb · wave · bark · bore · hide · scale · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bark — to shout
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. net — for catching
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bulb — for light
  10. net — after costs
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. net — in sport
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hide — to keep secret

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