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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bore — to drill
  4. hand — help
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rash — a series
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. current — electric
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — of water
  22. fall — the season
  23. current — happening now
  24. wound — an injury

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