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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: file · ball · bulb · bank · spell · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spell — magic
  4. bank — for money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spell — letters
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bank — for money
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bank — of a river
  17. file — a document
  18. ball — a dance

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