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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pit — in a race
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. 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