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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: rush · bore · club · face · craft · field · saw · bulb

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. craft — a skill
  4. field — a subject
  5. rush — hurry
  6. club — for golf
  7. field — farmland
  8. bulb — for light
  9. field — for sport
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. saw — the tool
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bore — to tire
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. club — a group
  21. bore — to drill
  22. craft — boats
  23. saw — the tool
  24. face — part of the head

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