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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fall — the season
  3. object — to protest
  4. rock — a stone
  5. file — a tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rock — music
  10. can — a tin
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. object — a thing
  13. fall — to drop
  14. file — a document
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. file — a line of people
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. object — an aim
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. can — a tin
  24. bulb — for light

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