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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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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: hand · cap · mug · wake · saw · chip · object · bulb

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. object — to protest
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. object — a thing
  9. wake — a trail
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chip — for betting
  13. hand — in cards
  14. object — an aim
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. hand — help
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bulb — of a plant

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