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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: ground · ball · hide · mine · fan · bulb · last · suit

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ball — a great time
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. last — finally
  18. suit — in cards
  19. last — to go on
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ground — a position
  23. last — final
  24. ball — a dance

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