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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cell — in biology
  10. field — a subject
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. deal — to handle
  13. suit — clothes
  14. date — the fruit
  15. file — a line of people
  16. suit — in cards
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. field — for sport
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cell — a phone
  24. field — farmland

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