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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. file — a tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bound — tied together
  9. file — a document
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bound — certain
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. foot — a measure

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