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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.

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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 · drill · staff · bowl · bulb · patient · stick · rest

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. drill — a practice
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rest — a break
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. row — a line
  13. staff — a stick
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. staff — employees
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. drill — army training
  21. rest — what's left
  22. staff — employees
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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