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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rock · game · stand · hand · present · hide · snap · bulb

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. game — a match
  3. hand — help
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stand — to bear
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. hand — in cards
  19. snap — to click
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. present — the time now
  24. rock — music

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