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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 116 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: coach · bulb · wound · stand · mouse · row · object · craft

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bulb — for light
  5. object — to protest
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. row — a line
  8. craft — boats
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. row — to paddle
  19. wound — an injury
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bulb — for light
  22. object — a thing
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. object — an aim

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