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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. key — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. season — of the year
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fall — to drop
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. file — a line of people
  21. season — in sport
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. key — the most important part

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