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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bass — low music
  4. last — to go on
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. last — final
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stem — to come from
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. dip — to sink
  17. last — finally
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stem — of a plant

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