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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. file — a document
  14. rock — music
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pass — a permit
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cue — a signal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. arm — a part of something
  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