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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: can · bear · court · bulb · press · hide · mine · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. suit — clothes
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — to push
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. press — newspapers
  19. court — for sport
  20. mine — for digging
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bear — the animal
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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