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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: row · mine · bulb · cell · craft · arm · wind · tube

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cell — in biology
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wind — moving air
  7. craft — boats
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. tube — a container
  15. cell — a phone
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wind — moving air
  19. row — a line
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mine — for digging
  24. arm — part of the body

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