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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: fan · swing · roll · net · wave · file · bulb · branch

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. net — for catching
  3. file — a tool
  4. branch — a division
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. swing — music
  9. net — in sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bulb — for light
  12. roll — a list
  13. swing — to play on
  14. net — after costs
  15. file — a document
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. swing — in golf

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