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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. firm — decided
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. net — for catching
  18. firm — a company
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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