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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · bulb · bark · wound · swing · content · pass · cap

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. content — happy
  6. plane — a tool
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bark — to shout
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. content — the amount
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bulb — for light
  16. swing — to play on
  17. cap — of ice
  18. swing — music
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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