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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: deal · capital · stem · fan · present · ruler · fall · bulb

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. present — the time now
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. present — there
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. capital — money
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fall — the season
  16. deal — to handle
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — to come from
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. capital — a city
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. present — a gift

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