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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: nail · stick · bass · face · suit · wake · bulb · drill

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. suit — clothes
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. face — part of the head
  10. drill — army training
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bulb — for light
  14. drill — the tool
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bass — the fish
  17. suit — to fit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bass — low music
  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