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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: bulb · rest · ruler · hand · bore · craft · sharp · fall

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bore — to tire
  3. craft — boats
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rest — a break
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hand — in cards
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hand — help
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. sharp — with an edge

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