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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bulb — for light
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. staff — employees
  11. pit — in a race
  12. craft — boats
  13. staff — employees
  14. pit — a hole
  15. band — a music group
  16. mine — for digging
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wound — an injury
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bulb — for light
  24. band — a ring

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