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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cue · foot · bulb · bound · dip · tear · board

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. board — to get on
  3. file — a tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. board — a committee
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cue — a signal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. tear — to rip
  15. foot — a measure
  16. file — a document
  17. cue — a hint
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cue — for pool
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bulb — for light
  24. board — a flat piece

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