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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: staff · vault · band · shower · craft · bulb · tube · rock

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. band — a ring
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bulb — for light
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rock — a stone
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. vault — a safe
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rock — music
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. shower — to wash
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. band — a music group
  20. shower — rain
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. craft — boats
  23. bulb — for light
  24. staff — employees

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