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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: bear · cabinet · lie · roll · nail · bulb · wind · cap

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. roll — a list
  14. bulb — for light
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bear — the animal

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