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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: jam · hand · plane · mate · fan · race · bulb · perch

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. race — the arms race
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. race — humankind
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mate — a partner
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — the fish
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. race — a contest
  22. hand — help
  23. plane — a tool
  24. hand — in cards

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