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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.

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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: cap · bulb · board · wound · sharp · dip · content · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — a committee
  8. cap — a hat
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — clever
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. board — to get on
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — the tool
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cap — a lid
  21. content — happy
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wound — an injury
  24. content — the amount

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