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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: mine · court · cabinet · lean · deal · swing · fan · bulb

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. swing — music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lean — thin
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. swing — to play on

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