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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. ground — a position
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — crushed
  11. tube — the underground
  12. scale — in music
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rock — music
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. tube — a container

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