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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.

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 · band · current · fine · stem · bay · swing · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. current — electric
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fine — all right
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bulb — for light
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. file — a document
  16. bulb — for light
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stem — to come from
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. current — of water
  22. file — a line of people
  23. band — a ring
  24. current — happening now

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