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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · capital · squash · bulb · stem · rest · fall · coach

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — money
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. rest — what's left
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fall — to drop
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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