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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bear — the animal
  9. object — an aim
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. ball — a great time
  16. object — to protest
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. object — a thing
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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