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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. key — in music
  7. suit — to fit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. band — a music group
  10. key — the most important part
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rash — hasty
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rash — a series
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spell — a short time
  23. band — a ring
  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