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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: row · board · rush · bound · file · snap · bulb · scale

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bulb — for light
  4. row — a line
  5. file — a tool
  6. scale — in music
  7. bound — certain
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. file — a document
  10. bulb — for light
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bound — obliged
  13. board — a committee
  14. scale — size or range
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rush — hurry
  17. board — to get on
  18. file — a line of people
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. snap — to click
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bound — tied together

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