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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cap — a hat
  3. chip — to eat
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cap — of ice
  6. key — for a lock
  7. saw — the tool
  8. file — a document
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. key — the most important part
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. file — a tool
  15. key — in music
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chip — for betting
  19. saw — the tool
  20. branch — a division
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lash — to lash out

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