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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. present — a gift
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. present — there
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cell — a phone
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kid — child
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cell — in biology
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bulb — for light
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — the time now

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