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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: rush · file · mark · ball · bulb · wound · bear · key

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. file — a tool
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. file — a line of people
  11. key — in music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mark — a grade
  19. key — for a lock
  20. ball — a great time
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rush — hurry
  23. file — a document
  24. wound — an injury

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