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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. file — a tool
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. game — a match
  7. can — to be able to
  8. last — finally
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lean — thin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. file — a line of people
  16. can — a tin
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. last — to go on
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mark — a grade
  21. file — a document
  22. mark — a trace
  23. last — final
  24. game — wild animals

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