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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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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: bay · ground · bulb · hide · pass · stick · kid · chest

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pass — a permit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chest — a box
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kid — child
  21. ground — the earth
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hide — animal skin

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