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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 116 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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. file — a tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lean — to bend
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bank — of a river
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. face — to confront
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bass — low music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bank — for money
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bank — for money

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