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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cap — of ice
  6. land — to come down
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fall — to drop
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. land — a country
  20. cap — a lid
  21. land — ground
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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