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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cap — of ice
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. object — to protest
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. face — to point toward
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. cap — a hat
  19. saw — the tool
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. root — of a word
  22. cap — a lid
  23. root — the cause
  24. patient — a sick person

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