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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lean — thin
  13. file — a line of people
  14. lie — to recline
  15. file — a document
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a tool
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. lean — to bend

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