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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 116 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 · bulb · perch · fine · land · firm · stick · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bulb — for light
  3. firm — a company
  4. land — a country
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fine — all right
  12. perch — the fish
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. land — to come down
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. firm — steady
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fine — high quality
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. firm — decided
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bulb — for light
  23. land — ground
  24. hide — to keep secret

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