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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: key · fan · bat · march · kick · lean · root · bulb

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bat — the animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. root — of a plant
  10. lean — thin
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. kick — in football
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. march — the month
  19. root — the cause
  20. march — music
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fan — a supporter

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