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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · bulb · wound · stand · file · scale · ruler · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wound — an injury
  5. date — the fruit
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. scale — in music
  18. file — a document
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wound — an injury

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