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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.

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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: stem · wind · kid · firm · fan · net · bulb · object

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. firm — a company
  4. object — an aim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. firm — decided
  8. wind — moving air
  9. net — in sport
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. firm — steady
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stem — to come from
  14. object — a thing
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. object — to protest
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kid — child
  24. net — after costs

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