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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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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: file · pound · bulb · mark · craft · tear · mug · arm

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mug — to rob
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mark — a grade
  7. tear — to rip
  8. file — a document
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mug — a face
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. craft — boats
  15. file — a tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tear — from crying
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mark — a trace

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