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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. row — a line
  9. bulb — for light
  10. row — to paddle
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. race — a contest
  24. bulb — of a plant

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