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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fall — to drop
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kid — child
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. capital — a city
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. capital — money

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