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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: face · bulb · fan · deal · game · wave · spring · lash

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spring — of water
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bulb — for light
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. game — a match
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. spring — the season
  22. game — wild animals
  23. spring — a coil
  24. face — to confront

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