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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 120 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: trunk · wind · suit · sharp · face · bulb · mark · fan

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wind — moving air
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bulb — for light
  11. suit — to fit
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mark — a grade
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. sharp — clever
  24. face — to confront

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