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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: band · bat · mine · bulb · wake · plane · fan · can

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bat — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bulb — for light
  20. band — a music group
  21. can — to be able to
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. can — a tin
  24. band — a ring

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