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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
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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: fine · root · fan · dip · can · cold · bulb · row

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cold — an illness
  3. root — the cause
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. dip — to sink
  9. row — a line
  10. can — a tin
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. can — a tin
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fine — all right
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. root — of a word
  24. row — to paddle

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