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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
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: net · temple · file · date · ground · nail · bulb · snap

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. snap — to click
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. net — in sport
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. ground — a position
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ground — crushed
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — after costs
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. date — the fruit
  21. net — for catching
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. nail — for a hammer

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