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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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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 · straw · temple · pit · stick · spell · present · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. spell — magic
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. present — the time now
  5. spell — letters
  6. pit — in a race
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. present — there
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spell — a short time
  14. file — a tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bulb — for light
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. present — a gift

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