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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. object — to protest
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. snap — to click
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bulb — for light
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rest — a break
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. rest — what's left
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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