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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. file — a document
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bulb — for light
  5. can — a tin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. sharp — clever
  8. file — a tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. can — a tin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — an injury
  15. can — to be able to
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pound — a weight
  19. board — a committee
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pound — for dogs

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