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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. clip — for paper
  7. tube — a container
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. clip — to cut
  13. fall — to drop
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. vault — a safe
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. clip — a video

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