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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 · bulb · snap · ground · racket · face · leaves · ruler

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — crushed
  5. face — to confront
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bulb — for light
  13. face — part of the head
  14. ground — a position
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. file — a document
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ground — the earth
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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