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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. shower — rain
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. craft — a skill
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cap — a lid
  14. shower — to wash
  15. current — happening now
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. craft — boats
  18. tear — from crying
  19. file — a line of people
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. current — of water
  22. file — a tool
  23. current — electric
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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