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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 120 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: kick · bulb · file · leaves · racket · bowl · chest · rash

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. kick — in football
  11. file — a line of people
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. file — a tool

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