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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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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: hide · straw · bulb · fine · stand · cap · prune · cell

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fine — all right
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cell — a phone
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cap — of ice
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cap — a hat
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. prune — the fruit

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