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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. shower — rain
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. march — music
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. shower — to wash
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. march — the month
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bulb — for light
  21. march — the month
  22. rock — music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stand — to bear

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