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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · rule · squash · roll · tear · fan · pitcher · bulb

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. roll — a list
  5. tear — from crying
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. tear — to rip
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tear — from crying
  14. squash — the sport
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. snap — to click
  18. rule — government
  19. roll — a cake
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. bulb — of a plant

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