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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: fall · ground · nail · bulb · cap · chair · dip · rest

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chair — a leader
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ground — crushed
  8. dip — to sink
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rest — a break
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. ground — a position
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cap — a lid
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — to drop
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fall — the season

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