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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.

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: hide · object · stand · wound · bulb · game · fork · spring

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. object — an aim
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stand — to bear
  8. object — to protest
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wound — an injury
  14. object — a thing
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. spring — the season
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wound — an injury
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bulb — for light
  24. spring — of water

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