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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · hide · board · stick · leaves · bulb · can · craft

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bat — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bulb — for light
  8. can — a tin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. board — a committee
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. board — to get on
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. craft — a skill

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