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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. spring — of water
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. net — after costs
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fork — in a road
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. net — for catching
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. net — in sport
  23. bank — for money
  24. spring — the season

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