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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cap — a hat
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fall — to drop
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. scale — in music
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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