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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: bulb · hand · capital · bear · bowl · tear · dip · mug

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mug — a cup
  3. capital — money
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. capital — a city
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hand — help
  12. tear — from crying
  13. hand — in cards
  14. tear — to rip
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. tear — from crying
  24. capital — a big letter

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