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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: rest · wave · mug · ground · bulb · bear · mate · cap

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mug — a face
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rest — a break
  18. mug — to rob
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mate — a friend
  24. ground — a position

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