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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 120 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: bore · stock · kick · land · bulb · temple · rash · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rash — hasty
  5. land — a country
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stock — goods
  8. land — to come down
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bore — to tire
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. kick — in football
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stock — shares
  17. bore — to drill
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bulb — for light
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rash — a series
  23. land — ground
  24. bulb — of a plant

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