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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tube — a container
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wake — before a funeral

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