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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: bowl · bulb · game · plane · spring · rush · craft · nail

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. spring — a coil
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spring — the season
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rush — hurry
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spring — of water
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. game — a match
  21. bulb — for light
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bulb — for light
  24. game — wild animals

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