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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · bulb · fan · stick · plane · trunk · cabinet · mate

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — help
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mate — to breed
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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