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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.

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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rule — a law
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bound — tied together
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bound — certain
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rule — government
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. file — a document

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