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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. 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. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. kick — in football
  10. court — for sport
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. court — of a king
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. court — of law
  23. bulb — for light
  24. 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