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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: cap · prune · can · pass · hide · bulb · bat · rule

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. can — a tin
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cap — of ice
  9. prune — to trim
  10. can — a tin
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rule — government
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rule — a law
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cap — a lid
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pass — to succeed

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