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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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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: cap · bulb · rule · hide · tube · rest · file · cold

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rest — a break
  5. file — a document
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cold — an illness
  8. rule — a law
  9. tube — a container
  10. cap — of ice
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. file — a tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rule — government
  18. cold — not warm
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tube — the underground

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