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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: fan · lie · board · bat · prune · bulb · fork · jam

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fork — in a road
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lie — to recline
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. board — a committee
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. board — to get on
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bulb — of a plant

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