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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 116 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 · shower · row · craft · clip · board · pop · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pop — music
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. shower — rain
  7. clip — a video
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — a skill
  10. row — to paddle
  11. drill — army training
  12. clip — to cut
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pop — to visit
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. row — a line
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. board — to get on
  20. pop — soda
  21. craft — boats
  22. bulb — for light
  23. shower — to wash
  24. board — a committee

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