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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: fall · lean · spell · fan · shower · firm · bulb · mark

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mark — a grade
  5. shower — to wash
  6. firm — decided
  7. spell — a short time
  8. shower — rain
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. firm — a company
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fall — the season
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spell — letters
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. spell — magic
  18. mark — a trace
  19. firm — steady
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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