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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. shower — rain
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stand — to bear
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spell — letters
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. spell — magic
  24. temple — side of the head

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