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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mate — a friend
  3. file — a tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spell — letters
  6. rest — what's left
  7. file — a line of people
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rest — a break
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rest — what's left
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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