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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: shower · file · bulb · key · branch · rush · face · clip

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. face — part of the head
  6. file — a document
  7. clip — a video
  8. key — in music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. branch — a division
  11. face — to point toward
  12. shower — to wash
  13. file — a tool
  14. clip — to cut
  15. key — for a lock
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. file — a line of people
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bulb — for light
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. face — to confront

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