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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: bulb · land · staff · ball · snap · drill · branch · craft

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — a skill
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. land — a country
  13. branch — a division
  14. drill — a practice
  15. land — to come down
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. drill — army training
  19. craft — boats
  20. land — ground
  21. ball — a great time
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. staff — employees
  24. ball — a dance

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