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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: nail · rush · spell · tube · bulb · lean · fall · firm

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fall — to drop
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lean — thin
  13. firm — a company
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. firm — steady
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. firm — decided
  24. nail — for a hammer

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