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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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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 · firm · row · rest · kick · toast · march · file

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. kick — in football
  3. march — the month
  4. row — a line
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. march — music
  9. file — a line of people
  10. firm — steady
  11. march — the month
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. firm — decided
  14. toast — bread
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bulb — for light
  20. row — to paddle
  21. file — a document
  22. firm — a company
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. file — a tool

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