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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: straw · pit · bulb · rest · charge · kid · file · can

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. file — a tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. file — a document
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. file — a line of people
  19. kid — to tease
  20. charge — in control
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rest — a break
  23. kid — child
  24. charge — a price

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