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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.

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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: file · spring · key · nail · leaves · bulb · prune · fine

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fine — all right
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. spring — the season
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spring — a coil
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spring — of water
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. fine — high quality
  17. key — the most important part
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. file — a tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. prune — to trim

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