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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fall — to drop
  3. object — to protest
  4. mug — to rob
  5. saw — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mug — a face
  9. object — a thing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fall — the season
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bulb — for light
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mug — a cup
  22. object — an aim
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. season — in sport

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