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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.

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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: chair · toast · nail · tube · bulb · cap · bay · temple

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. tube — a container
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cap — a hat
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. toast — bread
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bulb — for light
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. cap — of ice
  24. tube — in a tire

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