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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 120 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: bulb · swing · stick · mate · nail · face · last · file

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bulb — for light
  6. swing — music
  7. last — to go on
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bulb — for light
  14. file — a document
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. face — to confront
  17. swing — to play on
  18. last — final
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. swing — in golf
  22. face — to point toward
  23. file — a tool
  24. last — finally

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