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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. game — a match
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cap — a lid
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. land — a country
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cap — a hat
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fork — in a road
  20. land — ground
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. land — to come down
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fan — a supporter

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