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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wax — to grow
  6. spell — letters
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bank — for money
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spell — magic
  14. stand — to bear
  15. land — to come down
  16. bank — for money
  17. file — a tool
  18. land — ground
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bank — of a river
  21. lean — thin
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. land — a country
  24. file — a line of people

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