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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 116 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: stand · bore · bulb · kid · rush · hide · hand · fine

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — all right
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kid — child
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bore — to drill
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. hide — animal skin

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