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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tear — to rip
  5. file — a tool
  6. ground — a position
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. ground — the earth
  10. chest — of your body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chip — for betting
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chip — to eat
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. file — a document
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — magic
  24. chip — in a computer

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