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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: bulb · hide · fan · wake · key · squash · plane · stand

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bulb — for light
  5. squash — to crush
  6. key — for a lock
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. key — in music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wake — a trail
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hide — animal skin

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