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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pop — to visit
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. toast — bread
  7. snap — to click
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spell — magic
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pop — soda
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pop — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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