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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
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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 · staff · tube · key · spell · hand · bulb · march

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. march — music
  3. tube — the underground
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bulb — for light
  6. file — a tool
  7. key — in music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. key — the most important part
  12. spell — magic
  13. hand — help
  14. key — for a lock
  15. staff — employees
  16. file — a line of people
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. staff — a stick
  20. file — a document
  21. staff — employees
  22. march — the month
  23. spell — letters
  24. march — the month

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