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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rash — hasty
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. key — in music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lie — to recline
  16. key — the most important part
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rash — a series
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bulb — for light
  24. key — for a lock

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