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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pop — soda
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. file — a document
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. file — a tool
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fall — the season
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mine — an explosive

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