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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: firm · can · cell · season · cue · fan · bulb · spring

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. season — of the year
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cell — a phone
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. can — a tin
  13. season — in sport
  14. cue — a signal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bulb — for light
  18. firm — decided
  19. cue — for pool
  20. firm — steady
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. can — a tin
  24. cell — in biology

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