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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bulb — for light
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bulb — for light
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. race — humankind
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rock — music
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. file — a tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. charge — in control
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. file — a document
  23. charge — a price
  24. file — a line of people

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