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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: pass · wake · bat · date · stand · bulb · arm · hide

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bulb — for light
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stand — to bear
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bulb — for light
  16. date — the fruit
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wake — a trail
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bat — in an idiom

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