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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rule — a law
  6. file — a document
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cue — a signal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. file — a line of people
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. file — a tool
  17. rule — government
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cue — for pool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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