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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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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: pound · bulb · arm · suit · file · bear · snap · racket

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bear — the animal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. file — a document
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. snap — to click
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. arm — part of the body
  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