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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: fork · bulb · mouse · wind · face · nail · fan · cap

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fork — in a road
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cap — a hat
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cap — of ice
  18. face — to confront
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wind — to turn a key

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