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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 124 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: bulb · ruler · file · spring · cabinet · nail · lean · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lean — to bend
  6. file — a document
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bulb — for light
  10. file — a line of people
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lean — thin
  14. spring — of water
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spring — the season
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. file — a tool

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