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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: pass · arm · wake · fan · saw · bulb · capital · can

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — the tool
  11. capital — money
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. can — to be able to
  24. capital — a city

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