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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. file — a tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. file — a document
  5. rest — a break
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. season — of the year
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. craft — boats
  19. season — in sport
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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