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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fall — the season
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cap — a hat
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. fall — to drop
  9. prune — to trim
  10. charge — a price
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cap — a lid
  18. charge — in control
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cap — of ice
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. prune — the fruit

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