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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mark — a trace
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mark — a grade
  7. file — a document
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. file — a tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kid — child
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rule — government
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. plane — in geometry
  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