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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. season — of the year
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. snap — to click
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bulb — for light
  16. season — in sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rule — government

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