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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. staff — a stick
  3. can — to be able to
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. can — a tin
  9. spell — letters
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spell — magic
  12. tear — from crying
  13. season — of the year
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lean — thin
  18. cap — of ice
  19. tear — from crying
  20. staff — employees
  21. lean — to bend
  22. can — a tin
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fan — to cool the air

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