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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. file — a document
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. file — a tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bulb — for light
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. land — a country
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cabinet — ministers

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