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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 · craft · net · rush · bound · root · bulb · wax

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. net — in sport
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. net — after costs
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — boats
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. row — a line
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bulb — for light
  24. root — of a plant

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