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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: wind · club · hide · bulb · land · plane · ruler · spell

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. land — ground
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. club — a group
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. land — a country
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wind — moving air
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. land — to come down
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spell — magic
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. hide — to keep secret

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