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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lean — thin
  4. field — for sport
  5. shower — rain
  6. lean — to bend
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. wave — of the sea

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