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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.

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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bulb — for light
  3. last — final
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. last — finally
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. land — a country

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