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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: patient · fall · foot · hand · bulb · craft · board · lie

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. board — a committee
  4. hand — help
  5. lie — to recline
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. craft — a skill
  11. board — to get on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hand — in cards
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fall — the season
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fall — to drop

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