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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: bulb · pit · stick · rock · mark · lean · file · hand

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. hand — in cards
  4. file — a tool
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lean — thin
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pit — a hole
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hand — help
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. file — a document
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mark — a grade
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. lean — to rest against

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