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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 120 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spring — the season
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cap — a lid
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. face — to confront
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. face — part of the head
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. face — to point toward
  23. spring — of water
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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