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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: craft · bulb · rule · straw · saw · bore · wax · shower

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. shower — rain
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. craft — boats
  14. wax — to grow
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rule — government
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. shower — to wash
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rule — a law

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