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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 120 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 · hide · prune · pass · bulb · fork · snap · lash

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bulb — for light
  5. can — a tin
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. snap — to click
  21. can — a tin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pass — to spend time

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