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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kick — in football
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pass — a permit
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wind — moving air
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. kick — a thrill

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