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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: date · sharp · leaves · row · chair · file · bulb · band

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. band — a music group
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — for light
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. file — a line of people
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. file — a tool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. file — a document
  18. date — the fruit
  19. chair — a leader
  20. sharp — clever
  21. band — a ring
  22. row — a line
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bulb — of a plant

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