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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · mate · bulb · cap · mark · cold · present · plane

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mate — to breed
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cold — an illness
  23. present — a gift
  24. mate — a partner

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