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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
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: bulb · spell · wind · file · stem · coach · mate · nail

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stem — to come from
  16. file — a document
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spell — magic
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mate — a friend

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