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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: dip · bulb · cap · can · season · foot · shower · stick

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. season — of the year
  3. can — a tin
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. shower — to wash
  13. season — in sport
  14. cap — a hat
  15. shower — rain
  16. cap — a lid
  17. can — a tin
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. can — to be able to
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. dip — to dunk

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