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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bulb — for light
  3. game — a match
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spell — letters
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bank — for money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. staff — a stick
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. staff — employees
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bulb — for light
  16. staff — employees
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. spell — a short time
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. spell — magic

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