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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tear — from crying
  9. kick — in football
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. band — a ring
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. plane — in geometry

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