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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: bulb · dip · hide · capital · last · spell · cabinet · mouse

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. last — to go on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. dip — to sink
  5. last — final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. capital — a city
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. last — finally
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spell — letters
  24. mouse — the animal

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