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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 · object · mark · swing · band · file · nail · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bulb — for light
  6. object — an aim
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. spell — a short time
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. spell — magic
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — a trace
  14. object — to protest
  15. band — a music group
  16. swing — music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. band — a ring
  19. file — a tool
  20. object — a thing
  21. swing — to play on
  22. file — a document
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. swing — in golf

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