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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: suit · rush · file · net · coach · bulb · tube · shower

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. shower — to wash
  3. net — in sport
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. file — a document
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. net — after costs
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. file — a tool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. file — a line of people
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bulb — for light
  24. net — for catching

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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