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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: bulb · fine · fan · wind · sharp · stick · drill · can

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bulb — for light
  3. can — a tin
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wind — moving air
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. can — to be able to
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fine — all right
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. drill — army training
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. drill — the tool
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. can — a tin
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fine — a penalty

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