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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: bulb · foot · band · cap · wound · dip · hide · march

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. march — the month
  7. cap — a lid
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cap — of ice
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bulb — for light
  14. march — music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. band — a music group
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. march — the month
  20. band — a ring
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. foot — a measure
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cap — a hat

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