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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 116 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: bulb · hide · court · drill · fan · present · bound · stand

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. present — a gift
  5. bulb — for light
  6. court — for sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. present — the time now
  14. drill — army training
  15. court — of a king
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stand — to bear
  19. present — there
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. court — of law
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fan — to cool the air

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