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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. fall — the season
  9. file — a document
  10. field — a subject
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — a short time
  14. file — a tool
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. field — farmland
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bulb — for light
  19. suit — in cards
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fall — to drop
  22. field — for sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. suit — clothes

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