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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: net · bulb · wave · spring · vault · fan · mug · kid

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. spring — of water
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. vault — a safe
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. net — after costs
  13. mug — a face
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. spring — the season
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — to tease
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bulb — for light

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