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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bore — to drill
  13. object — a thing
  14. fall — to drop
  15. capital — a city
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. capital — money
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fall — the season
  22. bulb — for light
  23. object — to protest
  24. fan — to cool the air

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