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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. club — for golf
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — a group
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fine — high quality
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stand — on your feet

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