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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: wound · bowl · rush · fan · date · hide · bulb · fine

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fine — all right
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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