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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: bulb · bay · dip · season · cold · capital · lean · wake

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  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. cold — not warm
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bulb — for light
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bulb — for light
  10. season — in sport
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wake — a trail
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. capital — a city
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. season — of the year
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lean — thin
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cold — the Cold War
  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