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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. spell — letters
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. spell — magic
  9. bulb — for light
  10. file — a document
  11. spell — a short time
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. file — a tool
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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