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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pit — a hole
  6. net — in sport
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. last — to go on
  14. net — for catching
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. net — after costs
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — a trail
  21. hand — help
  22. last — final
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. last — finally

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