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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 120 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: mine · lash · root · bat · hide · content · pass · bulb

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — the amount
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. root — of a plant
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bat — the animal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. content — happy
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. root — the cause
  22. pass — a permit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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