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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bulb · season · file · key · trunk · spell

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spell — magic
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bulb — for light
  10. season — in sport
  11. spell — letters
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. key — for a lock
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. file — a document
  16. season — of the year
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music

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