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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: rule · craft · snap · hide · field · bowl · bear · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rule — a law
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. field — a subject
  7. bulb — for light
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bear — the animal
  10. craft — boats
  11. field — for sport
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rule — government
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. field — farmland
  22. craft — a skill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. snap — to click

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