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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cold — not warm
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cold — an illness
  8. fall — to drop
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. current — electric
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. current — of water
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. current — happening now
  20. cap — a lid
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fall — to drop
  24. plane — in geometry

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