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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bulb — for light
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. plane — a tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. leaves — lets stay

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