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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cap — a lid
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. board — to get on
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fall — the season
  23. drill — army training
  24. bulb — for light

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