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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bulb — for light
  4. file — a document
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cap — a lid
  8. track — a path
  9. fall — the season
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. file — a tool
  13. cap — a hat
  14. file — a line of people
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fall — to drop
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. track — a song
  24. rush — hurry

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