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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 120 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: bowl · staff · bulb · mate · craft · face · tube · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bulb — for light
  4. staff — employees
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. object — a thing
  8. bulb — for light
  9. object — an aim
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mate — to breed
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. tube — the underground
  23. face — part of the head
  24. tube — a container

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