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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. sharp — clever
  4. face — to point toward
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. face — to confront
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wind — moving air
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wind — to turn a key

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