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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mug · bore · mate · bulb · game · lash · pit

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mug — a face
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pit — a hole
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. game — a match
  12. mug — to rob
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mug — a cup
  24. game — a kind of play

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