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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. club — for dancing
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. club — for golf
  6. file — a line of people
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bulb — for light
  11. file — a tool
  12. club — a group
  13. suit — in cards
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. face — to point toward
  16. kid — to tease
  17. craft — boats
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. kid — child
  20. face — to confront
  21. file — a document
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. stand — to bear
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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