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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: mug · nail · deal · fan · rule · row · bulb · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. row — a line
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mug — to rob
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bulb — for light
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mug — a face
  13. rule — government
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mug — a cup
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rule — a law

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