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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bat — the animal
  9. snap — to click
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pop — music
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pop — soda
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bulb — for light
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. scale — in music

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