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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. club — for dancing
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. last — finally
  6. branch — a division
  7. tear — from crying
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bulb — for light
  10. last — to go on
  11. face — to confront
  12. file — a document
  13. tear — from crying
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. club — a group
  17. tear — to rip
  18. club — for golf
  19. face — part of the head
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. staff — employees
  24. last — final

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