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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.

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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. shower — rain
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chest — a box
  5. shower — to wash
  6. spell — letters
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. squash — to crush
  9. key — in music
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. key — the most important part
  13. spell — magic
  14. mug — to rob
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mug — a cup
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mug — a face
  24. squash — the sport

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