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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fall — to drop
  6. file — a document
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. file — a tool
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fall — to drop
  15. suit — in cards
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. suit — to fit
  20. march — the month
  21. fall — the season
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fork — in a road
  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