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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bulb — for light
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. snap — to click
  17. cold — an illness
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rush — hurry
  21. dip — to sink
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to 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