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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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468
Word bank
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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bulb — for light
  3. file — a tool
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rest — a break
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fork — in a road
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a document
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. can — a tin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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