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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: nail · leaves · hide · land · season · clip · mine · bulb

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. clip — for paper
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. season — of the year
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. land — to come down
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — in sport
  20. land — a country
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. land — ground

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