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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: rule · craft · roll · wake · saw · bulb · bore · bear

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bear — the animal
  3. roll — a list
  4. rule — government
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rule — a law
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. roll — a cake

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