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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. file — a line of people
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bulb — for light
  8. file — a document
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. wind — moving air
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. file — a tool

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