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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: mine · club · lean · wake · pop · bulb · plane · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lean — thin
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bulb — for light
  17. club — for golf
  18. lean — to bend
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mine — for digging
  23. plane — a tool
  24. club — a group

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