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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: craft · lean · club · file · mark · rock · kick · bulb

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rock — music
  3. mark — a trace
  4. club — for golf
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lean — to bend
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mark — a grade
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. kick — in football
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a document
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. lean — thin
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. club — a group
  23. file — a tool
  24. craft — boats

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