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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: season · wound · file · object · wake · bulb · drill · can

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. file — a document
  3. season — in sport
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bulb — for light
  8. object — a thing
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. season — of the year
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wound — an injury
  14. drill — army training
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. drill — a practice
  18. can — a tin
  19. object — to protest
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. drill — the tool
  23. object — an aim
  24. file — a tool

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