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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bulb — for light
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cap — a hat
  12. file — a tool
  13. fine — all right
  14. file — a document
  15. chest — a box
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cap — a lid
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pop — soda
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pop — music
  24. toast — bread

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