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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: plane · hide · bound · bulb · snap · fan · swing · cap

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — certain
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. swing — in golf
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. swing — music
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bulb — for light
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. snap — to click
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fan — to cool the air

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