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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: capital · mark · bulb · craft · bore · mug · rush · sharp

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bore — to drill
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. capital — a city
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mark — a trace
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mug — to rob
  17. capital — money
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. mug — a face
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mark — to pay attention

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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