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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: bulb · bore · cell · season · hide · rash · capital · stick

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. season — in sport
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bulb — for light
  7. capital — money
  8. rash — hasty
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bore — to tire
  11. capital — a city
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rash — a series
  24. season — to add flavour

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