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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 116 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: ruler · fan · spell · bulb · file · pitch · wax · bore

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. spell — magic
  13. wax — to grow
  14. spell — letters
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. file — a tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pitch — completely

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