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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pass — a permit
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. tube — a container
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. tube — the underground
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kid — child
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ball — a dance
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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