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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 116 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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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: nail · swing · suit · bore · bulb · rash

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. swing — in golf
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. swing — music
  14. bore — to tire
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rash — a series
  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