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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bat · mate · stick · nail · file · swing · current

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. swing — music
  4. current — happening now
  5. swing — in golf
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. current — electric
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mate — to breed
  19. file — a document
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mate — a partner
  22. swing — to play on
  23. current — of water
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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