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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · march · wound · wave · bulb · toast · pitch · can

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. toast — bread
  3. wound — an injury
  4. can — to be able to
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. can — a tin
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. march — music
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. march — the month
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. can — a tin
  16. march — the month
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bulb — for light

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