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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: jam · file · bulb · game · bat · wind · nail · lash

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wind — moving air
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. file — a tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. file — a document
  10. game — wild animals
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. game — a match
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. file — a line of people
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wind — moving air
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. game — a kind of play

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