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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: degree · tube · current · hide · season · lean · hand · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. season — in sport
  3. hand — in cards
  4. current — happening now
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lean — to bend
  8. current — of water
  9. degree — from a university
  10. hand — help
  11. lean — thin
  12. tube — the underground
  13. season — of the year
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. degree — an amount
  17. tube — a container
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. current — electric
  24. degree — temperature

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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