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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pass — a permit
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. present — the time now
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pound — a weight
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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