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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 116 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
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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: stick · hide · bulb · fall · rash · pitcher · wind · plane

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fall — the season
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rash — a series
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — to keep secret

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