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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. capital — money
  7. lean — thin
  8. file — a tool
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stand — to bear
  12. suit — to fit
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fine — all right
  17. spell — magic
  18. suit — clothes
  19. capital — a city
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. file — a document
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bulb — of a plant

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