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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. drill — a practice
  3. court — for sport
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. file — a line of people
  9. court — of a king
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. lean — thin
  12. deal — to handle
  13. file — a tool
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. drill — army training
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. drill — the tool
  19. file — a document
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. court — of law
  23. deal — an agreement
  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