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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.

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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: bulb · arm · rule · racket · root · pass · chest · hide

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. root — of a word
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chest — of your body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. root — the cause
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rule — government
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chest — a box
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. arm — part of the body

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