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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. file — a tool
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mate — a partner
  12. net — for catching
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. net — after costs
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. craft — boats
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. net — in sport
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stand — on your feet

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