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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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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: drill · roll · rest · wind · bulb · stand · season · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — the tool
  9. season — of the year
  10. drill — army training
  11. roll — a list
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wind — moving air
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rest — a break
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. season — in sport
  24. drill — a practice

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