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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bulb — for light
  3. file — a document
  4. suit — clothes
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. file — a line of people
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. file — a tool
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mine — belonging to me

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