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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 120 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 · race · fall · staff · lash · craft · key · net

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. key — in music
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bulb — for light
  5. race — humankind
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. staff — employees
  8. race — a contest
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. staff — employees
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. net — in sport
  14. craft — boats
  15. fall — the season
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. staff — a stick
  20. key — for a lock
  21. craft — a skill
  22. race — the arms race
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fall — to drop

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