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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
468
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: object · bulb · spring · craft · perch · drill · bat · arm

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. spring — of water
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bulb — for light
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. craft — a skill
  12. drill — army training
  13. craft — boats
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bat — the animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. spring — the season
  22. object — to protest
  23. drill — the tool
  24. perch — for a bird

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