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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: fan · chest · object · bass · root · lie · bulb · sharp

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chest — a box
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — the cause
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bulb — for light
  8. object — to protest
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bass — low music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. chest — of your body
  15. root — of a word
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. chest — of your body
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — a thing
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. object — an aim

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