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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: nail · fan · pass · ball · bulb · rash · drill · saw

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pass — a permit
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. drill — a practice
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. drill — army training
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. saw — the tool
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rash — a series
  21. ball — a dance
  22. drill — the tool
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rash — hasty

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