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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: bore · hand · snap · bulb · tube · fan · craft · kick

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. kick — in football
  3. craft — a skill
  4. tube — a container
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. snap — to click
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bore — to drill
  19. craft — boats
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. hand — help
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. kick — with a leg

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