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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: fan · leaves · bulb · wind · rock · mug · safe · hand

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. hand — help
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wind — moving air
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mug — a face
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wind — moving air
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rock — a stone

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