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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
468
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: arm · bulb · lie · rush · cell · craft · roll · bore

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lie — to recline
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cell — a phone
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. roll — a list
  20. cell — in biology
  21. craft — boats
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. lie — an untruth

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