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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.

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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 · race · net · fan · object · can · plane · wind

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wind — moving air
  3. race — the arms race
  4. can — to be able to
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. race — a contest
  8. wind — moving air
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. net — for catching
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. object — an aim
  14. race — humankind
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. plane — a tool
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. object — a thing
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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