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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: bark · cabinet · lean · file · bulb · object · charge · row

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. charge — in control
  3. object — to protest
  4. lean — thin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. file — a line of people
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. charge — a price
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. file — a document
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. file — a tool
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. row — a line

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