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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 · spring · bulb · swing · racket · cell · fork · plane

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. swing — in golf
  5. spring — of water
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cell — a phone
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. plane — a tool
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. swing — music
  18. fork — in a road
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cell — in biology
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bulb — for light
  24. swing — to play on

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