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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: field · safe · lie · rest · arm · file · mate · bulb

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. field — a subject
  4. mate — a friend
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bulb — for light
  7. file — a tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. lie — to recline
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rest — a break
  14. field — for sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. field — farmland
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bulb — of a plant

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