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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cap — a lid
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mark — a grade
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. march — the month
  18. season — of the year
  19. shower — rain
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. season — in sport
  22. mark — a trace
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. cabinet — ministers

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