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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wake — a trail
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. file — a tool
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rock — music
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. file — a document
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rock — a stone
  24. trunk — of a car

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