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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mate — a partner
  10. snap — to click
  11. last — final
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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