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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · mark · tube · hide · bulb · foot

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mark — a trace
  9. tube — a container
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tear — from crying
  18. hide — to keep secret

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