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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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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: hide · cell · rule · bulb · tube · craft

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. craft — boats
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rule — a law
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cell — a phone
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rule — government
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. craft — a skill
  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