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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fine — all right
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cap — of ice
  18. craft — a skill
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stem — to come from
  22. craft — boats
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pit — in a race

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