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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ground — a position
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rest — what's left
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rush — hurry
  20. snap — to click
  21. rest — a break
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rush — a thrill

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