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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.

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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: wake · object · leaves · bulb · cap · rule · bear · hand

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. object — a thing
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bear — the animal
  11. object — to protest
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rule — a law
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rule — government
  16. cap — a lid
  17. object — an aim
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. wake — a trail
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. hand — help
  24. wake — before a funeral

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