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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. tube — a container
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bat — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bank — for money
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bank — for money
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. tube — the underground
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bank — of a river

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