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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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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. present — there
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bulb — for light
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cap — of ice
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cap — a lid
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rest — a break
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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