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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. plane — a tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. bulb — for light
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. branch — a division
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bulb — of a plant

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