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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: suit · nail · bulb · cap · spell · file · coach · mine

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cap — a hat
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cap — a lid
  8. file — a tool
  9. suit — clothes
  10. spell — letters
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. file — a document
  13. mine — for digging
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. file — a line of people
  17. suit — to fit
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cap — of ice
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. suit — in cards

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