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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bank — for money
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bank — for money
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — for light
  10. snap — to click
  11. cue — a hint
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cap — a lid
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cap — a hat
  24. plane — in geometry

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