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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wake — a trail
  11. snap — to click
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. ground — a position

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