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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lean — thin
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cap — of ice
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cap — a hat
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. can — a tin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. can — to be able to

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