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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 124 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cap — of ice
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. file — a tool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wind — moving air
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wind — moving air
  20. season — in sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. file — a document
  24. leaves — to go away

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