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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rock — music
  4. drill — army training
  5. field — a subject
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. swing — music
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. swing — in golf
  10. file — a document
  11. fine — all right
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. field — for sport
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bulb — for light
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fine — high quality
  20. file — a tool
  21. rock — a stone
  22. field — farmland
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fine — a penalty

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