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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 120 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wound — an injury
  7. object — an aim
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spring — of water
  14. object — a thing
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spring — the season
  20. object — to protest
  21. spring — a coil
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fan — a supporter

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