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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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. track — a path
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. track — a song
  10. cue — a hint
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ground — a position
  20. cue — a signal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wound — an injury

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