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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bulb — for light
  11. press — to push
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — a series
  14. press — a publisher
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cap — a hat
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fall — the season
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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