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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: bear · band · bulb · fine · saw · bay · fan · present

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. saw — the tool
  3. band — a music group
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bulb — for light
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. present — there
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. present — a gift
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fine — all right
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. present — the time now
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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