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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 120 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: file · can · nail · coach · swing · bulb · calf · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — after costs
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. can — to be able to
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. swing — to play on
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — for catching
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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