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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: bat · bulb · rock · coach · craft · patient · saw · bear

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rock — music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. craft — a skill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bat — for baseball

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