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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: fork · lie · tear · file · bulb · lean · rush · racket

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bulb — for light
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bulb — for light
  6. file — a tool
  7. lean — thin
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. tear — to rip
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — hurry
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. file — a line of people
  20. tear — from crying
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lie — an untruth

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