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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · file · lie · mark · game · tear · mine · bulb

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bulb — for light
  3. file — a tool
  4. lie — to recline
  5. file — a line of people
  6. game — wild animals
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. file — a document
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mark — a grade
  13. date — the fruit
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mark — a trace
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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