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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cap — of ice
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fall — the season
  14. bank — for money
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — to drop
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pass — to succeed

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