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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. present — a gift
  3. file — a document
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wake — a trail
  10. kid — to tease
  11. staff — employees
  12. present — the time now
  13. kid — child
  14. rush — hurry
  15. present — there
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. file — a tool
  24. staff — employees

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