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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: cap · bulb · row · snap · rush · wax · cabinet · rule

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rule — government
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rule — a law
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. snap — to click
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. row — a line
  16. bulb — for light
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rule — to rule out

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