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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. land — to come down
  3. file — a document
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. chest — of your body
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bound — certain
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. land — ground
  14. bulb — for light
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. deal — to handle
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. land — a country
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. file — a line of people
  23. deal — a big deal
  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