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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. squash — to crush
  3. file — a tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pop — to visit
  6. hand — help
  7. pop — soda
  8. bound — certain
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pop — music

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