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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: bulb · cell · mug · capital · bay · plane · present · tear

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mug — to rob
  11. tear — to rip
  12. mug — a face
  13. capital — a city
  14. present — a gift
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. mug — a cup
  17. present — there
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cell — in biology
  21. capital — money
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. present — the time now
  24. tear — from crying

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