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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — a container
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wake — a trail
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bulb — for light
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wake — before a funeral

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