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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 · bore · mouse · arm · rash · suit · tube · capital

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. capital — money
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. capital — a city
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bulb — for light

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