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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. present — there
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bound — certain
  7. present — a gift
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bound — tied together
  10. hand — in cards
  11. file — a tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hand — help
  14. file — a document
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fall — the season
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. present — the time now
  24. bulb — of a plant

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