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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: file · scale · cabinet · rock · land · lie · bulb · firm

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. firm — decided
  4. scale — in music
  5. firm — a company
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. firm — steady
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bulb — for light
  10. land — a country
  11. file — a document
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. land — ground
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. file — a tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rock — music
  24. bulb — for light

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