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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. last — finally
  4. suit — in cards
  5. file — a document
  6. kid — to tease
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cap — a lid
  15. last — final
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. suit — clothes
  19. kid — child
  20. mate — a partner
  21. suit — to fit
  22. last — to go on
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bulb — for light

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