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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. charge — in control
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mug — to rob
  7. object — an aim
  8. charge — a price
  9. season — in sport
  10. object — a thing
  11. mug — a face
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. shower — rain
  14. season — of the year
  15. bulb — for light
  16. track — a path
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — a cup
  19. track — a song
  20. shower — to wash
  21. track — to keep track
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. object — to protest
  24. charge — electricity

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