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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: kick · bulb · stand · spring · cabinet · mate · mine · pass

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mate — a partner
  4. kick — in football
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pass — to succeed

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