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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: squash · fan · bulb · mouse · tear · bass · game · leaves

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bulb — for light
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. game — wild animals
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. game — a match
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mouse — the animal

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