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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: can · capital · bulb · bowl · net · wave · cap · rush

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. can — a tin
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cap — of ice
  10. net — after costs
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bulb — for light
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. bulb — of a plant

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