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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: bear · rest · snap · bulb · staff · bat · craft · bass

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. staff — a stick
  3. craft — a skill
  4. snap — to click
  5. staff — employees
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bass — low music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. craft — boats
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rest — a break
  20. bulb — for light
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. staff — employees
  24. bear — to put up with

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