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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: band · snap · foot · march · fork · bulb · rush · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. march — the month
  3. band — a ring
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. foot — a measure
  15. band — a music group
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. file — a tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. snap — to click
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fork — to eat with

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