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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pop — music
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fall — to drop
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. file — a tool
  8. pop — to visit
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. pop — soda
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bulb — for light
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bulb — for light
  18. file — a document
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fall — the season
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fall — to drop

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