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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: object · season · fan · lie · deal · shower · bulb · roll

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. season — of the year
  4. object — to protest
  5. season — in sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — a list
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. object — a thing
  17. lie — to recline
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bulb — for light
  20. shower — rain
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fan — a supporter

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