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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: mine · fan · suit · bulb · content · plane · cell · calf

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. content — happy
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cell — in biology
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cell — a phone
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. calf — of the leg

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