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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
468
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 · temple · bulb · snap · staff · wind · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. snap — to click
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. staff — employees
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. temple — a place of worship

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