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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chair — a leader
  3. file — a tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rest — a break
  7. bound — obliged
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. file — a line of people
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. shower — rain
  16. deal — to handle
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bound — certain
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bound — tied together
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rest — what's left

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