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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a document
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. court — of law
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. court — of a king
  11. rash — a series
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. court — for sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — to drop
  23. file — a tool
  24. fall — the season

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