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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. pop — soda
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pop — music
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pop — to visit
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bulb — for light
  10. file — a tool
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. file — a line of people
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — all right
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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