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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.

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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.

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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: fall · cap · squash · race · mark · cabinet · bulb · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cap — a lid
  3. race — a contest
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bulb — for light
  7. squash — the sport
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. race — humankind
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. row — a line
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fall — to drop

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