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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.

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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: land · fall · staff · bulb · rash · capital · craft · bore

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. staff — a stick
  5. capital — a city
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. bore — to drill
  9. staff — employees
  10. rash — a series
  11. craft — boats
  12. staff — employees
  13. fall — to drop
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. capital — money
  18. fall — the season
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. craft — a skill
  21. land — a country
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fall — to drop

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