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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mug — a cup
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mug — a face
  5. season — in sport
  6. mug — to rob
  7. current — of water
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. current — happening now
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mine — for digging
  20. current — electric
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — of the year
  24. bulb — 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