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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: bay · cap · swing · plane · bulb · mark · land · saw

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mark — a grade
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cap — a lid
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bulb — for light
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. land — a country
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cap — of ice
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cap — a hat
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mark — a trace
  21. land — ground
  22. swing — music
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. land — to come down

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