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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cap — a hat
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. file — a line of people
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. file — a document
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lean — thin
  24. cap — of ice

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