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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: lean · club · hide · object · drill · face · pit · bulb

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. club — for golf
  3. pit — in a race
  4. club — a group
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lean — to bend
  7. face — to confront
  8. object — to protest
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. drill — army training
  13. pit — a hole
  14. face — to point toward
  15. club — for dancing
  16. drill — the tool
  17. face — part of the head
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bulb — for light
  20. drill — a practice
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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