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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cap — of ice
  7. spell — letters
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. march — the month
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spell — magic
  15. tube — the underground
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. tube — a container
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. march — music

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