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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. present — a gift
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. present — the time now
  7. degree — an amount
  8. season — of the year
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — to drop
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. degree — from a university
  17. season — in sport
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. present — there
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fall — the season
  24. nail — on a finger

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