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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · craft · lean · bulb · pitcher · chest · rule · wave

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. craft — boats
  3. chest — a box
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. object — an aim
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. object — a thing
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. object — to protest
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rule — government
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rule — a law
  24. lean — to rest against

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