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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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 — a supporter
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fine — all right
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fall — the season
  10. bulb — for light
  11. root — of a word
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. root — the cause
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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