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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 · snap · fan · foot · lie · chair · bulb · game

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. deal — to handle
  18. game — a match
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lie — to recline
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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