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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pop — music
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mate — a friend
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mate — to breed
  9. file — a tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mate — a partner
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kid — to tease
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pop — soda
  18. kid — child
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. kick — in football
  21. bulb — for light
  22. file — a document
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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