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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 116 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: key · lash · band · court · nail · mate · bulb · saw

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mate — a friend
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. saw — the tool
  9. court — of a king
  10. saw — the tool
  11. court — for sport
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. key — in music
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bulb — for light
  22. court — of law
  23. mate — to breed
  24. lash — an eyelash

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