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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 help me carry this box?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. march — the month
  5. key — in music
  6. file — a document
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. key — for a lock
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. can — a tin
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — the most important part
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. can — a tin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bulb — for light
  24. file — a tool

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