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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: fan · tear · bulb · perch · fine · prune · board · wake

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fine — high quality
  3. board — a committee
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. perch — the fish
  11. tear — to rip
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fine — all right

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