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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: bulb · bowl · scale · dip · lash · cap · hide · court

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. court — for sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cap — of ice
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. scale — in music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. hide — animal skin

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