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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — soda
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spring — of water
  7. pop — to visit
  8. land — ground
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. land — to come down
  11. season — in sport
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pop — music
  16. season — of the year
  17. land — a country
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spring — the season
  21. vault — a safe
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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