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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wound — an injury
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ground — a position
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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