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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. hand — in cards
  6. staff — employees
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fork — in a road
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lean — to bend
  11. hand — help
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. staff — employees
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. staff — a stick
  24. lean — thin

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