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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bulb — for light
  15. field — farmland
  16. wind — moving air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — for sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. field — a subject
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bulb — of a plant

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