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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: bulb · season · bass · hide · sharp · club · tube · cabinet

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. tube — a container
  5. bass — low music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. club — for golf
  21. tube — the underground
  22. sharp — clever
  23. season — in sport
  24. sharp — with an edge

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