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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: mine · wound · file · pop · bulb · stick · vault · spell

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. file — a tool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bulb — for light
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. spell — letters
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. spell — magic
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bulb — for light
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pop — soda
  20. file — a document
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mine — belonging to me

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