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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 124 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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ball — a great time
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bulb — for light
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. staff — employees
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ball — a dance
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lean — thin

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