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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: drill · bulb · court · shower · hide · pass · kick · bear

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. shower — to wash
  8. court — of law
  9. bear — the animal
  10. court — for sport
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. shower — rain
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pass — a permit
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kick — in football
  20. drill — army training
  21. court — of a king
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. drill — a practice
  24. kick — with a leg

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