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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cold — an illness
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cold — not warm
  24. rush — hurry

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