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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 116 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: suit · fan · fall · fine · bulb · squash · saw · content

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fall — to drop
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bulb — for light
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bulb — for light
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fall — the season
  18. suit — clothes
  19. content — the amount
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. content — happy
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fall — to drop

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