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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
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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: plane · ruler · sharp · land · nail · bulb · cell · file

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — in biology
  6. file — a tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bulb — for light
  10. file — a line of people
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. file — a document
  13. sharp — clever
  14. plane — a tool
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. land — a country
  24. nail — on a finger

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