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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: bulb · rash · scale · wave · capital · straw · march · cap

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cap — a hat
  6. scale — in music
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. march — the month
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cap — of ice
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. march — music
  19. rash — hasty
  20. capital — a city
  21. rash — a series
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. march — the month
  24. capital — money

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