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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spring — the season
  5. mark — a grade
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. snap — to click
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. lie — to recline
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mark — a trace
  24. spring — of water

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