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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: wake · tube · lie · perch · craft · wind · bulb · patient

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wind — moving air
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lie — to recline
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wake — a trail
  17. craft — boats
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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