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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: spell · drill · bulb · stock · lie · band · lash · file

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stock — goods
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stock — shares
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. spell — letters
  10. file — a document
  11. band — a music group
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. band — a ring
  14. bulb — for light
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. drill — army training
  19. lie — to recline
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. drill — a practice
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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