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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
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: wake · race · racket · straw · patient · lie · bulb · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. race — a contest
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lie — to recline
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. race — humankind
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fan — a supporter

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