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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. root — of a word
  3. cell — in biology
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. toast — bread
  15. snap — to click
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. club — a group
  18. root — the cause
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. root — of a plant

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