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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · saw · cap · tube · hide · file · fan · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. file — a line of people
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cap — a hat
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. season — in sport
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cap — of ice
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — a lid
  17. tube — the underground
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. tube — a container
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. hide — to keep secret

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