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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fall — to drop
  14. file — a tool
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. object — a thing
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. file — a document
  21. stem — to come from
  22. object — an aim
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. object — to protest

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