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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: present · foot · bulb · ruler · staff · craft · tube · cold

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. staff — employees
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. present — the time now
  17. craft — a skill
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. staff — employees
  21. cold — an illness
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ruler — for measuring

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