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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: bulb · present · nail · face · hand · last · swing · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — help
  4. face — to confront
  5. file — a tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bulb — for light
  8. swing — music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hand — in cards
  14. last — final
  15. file — a document
  16. face — part of the head
  17. present — the time now
  18. last — finally
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. face — to point toward
  21. last — to go on
  22. swing — to play on
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bulb — of a plant

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