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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 120 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
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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: bore · pitch · bulb · wave · fan · staff · bark · leaves

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bulb — for light
  11. staff — employees
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — completely
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bore — to tire
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. staff — employees
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bark — of a tree

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