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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: bulb · wound · mine · net · tube · season · hide · pass

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. net — in sport
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mine — for digging
  6. tube — a container
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. net — for catching
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wound — an injury
  15. net — after costs
  16. season — of the year
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tube — the underground

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