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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 124 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  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. net — for catching
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spell — magic
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spell — a short time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. date — the fruit
  12. net — in sport
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. can — a tin
  17. spell — letters
  18. bulb — for light
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — after costs
  23. date — on the calendar
  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