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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: wake · craft · tube · drill · rock · pound · lean · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rock — a stone
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wake — a trail
  6. drill — a practice
  7. tube — the underground
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pound — a weight
  10. drill — the tool
  11. craft — a skill
  12. drill — army training
  13. craft — boats
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rock — music
  18. lean — thin
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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