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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: staff · wave · fan · hide · fall · spring · file · cap

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. file — a tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cap — of ice
  5. file — a line of people
  6. staff — employees
  7. fall — the season
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. spring — of water
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spring — the season
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. file — a document
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. spring — a coil

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