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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: rock · file · arm · clip · swing · wave · bulb · drill

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. drill — the tool
  3. swing — music
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. swing — in golf
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. clip — to cut
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. file — a document
  18. drill — a practice
  19. swing — to play on
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. clip — a video
  23. bulb — for light
  24. drill — army training

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