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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 116 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: bulb · can · fan · lean · stock · wave · net · rash

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — thin
  6. net — after costs
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stock — shares
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. can — a tin
  13. net — in sport
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rash — a series
  16. stock — goods
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. net — for catching
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lean — to bend

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