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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.

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: file · bank · tube · dip · bark · spell · club · bulb

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. spell — magic
  2. club — for golf
  3. bank — for money
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. club — a group
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bank — for money
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bulb — for light
  12. club — for dancing
  13. dip — to sink
  14. tube — a container
  15. file — a document
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. file — a line of people
  18. spell — letters
  19. bark — to shout
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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