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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.

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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. spell — letters
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fall — to drop
  10. can — a tin
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bulb — for light
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. can — to be able to
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. spell — magic
  19. file — a document
  20. spell — a short time
  21. can — a tin
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fall — the season
  24. bulb — for light

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