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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.

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: spell · wake · squash · plane · rash · cap · bulb · bound

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rash — hasty
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bound — certain
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. spell — magic
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cap — of ice
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bound — obliged
  20. spell — letters
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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