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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mug — a cup

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