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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 120 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: can · stand · chip · cell · drill · bulb · mine · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — a tin
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mine — for digging
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. drill — the tool
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. can — a tin
  14. drill — army training
  15. can — to be able to
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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