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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 · bound · nail · last · can · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. last — finally
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. can — to be able to
  6. last — final
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — a short time
  12. last — to go on
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bound — tied together
  17. spell — magic
  18. nail — for a hammer

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