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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.

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: last · content · bulb · hide · cap · mug · wind · charge

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cap — a lid
  5. last — finally
  6. mug — a cup
  7. last — final
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mug — a face
  10. last — to go on
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. content — the amount
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — happy
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cap — of ice
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. charge — a price
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wind — moving air
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wind — to turn a key

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