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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.

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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: cell · bulb · plane · cold · hide · bore · stand · key

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cold — an illness
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. key — in music
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. key — the most important part
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — not warm

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