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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cell — in biology
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mate — a partner
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bulb — for light
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. file — a tool
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chest — a box
  24. deal — a big deal

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