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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.

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: capital · bulb · band · bowl · pop · hide · snap · mug

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pop — music
  5. snap — to click
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pop — soda
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mug — a face
  10. capital — a city
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pop — to visit
  13. band — a ring
  14. mug — to rob
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. band — a music group
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. capital — money

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