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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: hide · fan · spring · lash · bulb · pit · bear · pass

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — of water
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. pass — to spend time

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