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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · wake · bulb · ground · bear · fan

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ground — a position
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bear — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — a trail

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