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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. object — an aim
  4. board — a committee
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. object — a thing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mate — a partner
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. perch — the fish
  13. board — to get on
  14. kid — to tease
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. kid — child
  19. mate — a friend
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. object — to protest
  24. bulb — for light

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