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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 116 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
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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: bore · lash · craft · tube · bat · prune · staff · board

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. board — a committee
  4. staff — employees
  5. board — to get on
  6. staff — employees
  7. prune — to trim
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. staff — a stick
  16. craft — boats
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. tube — the underground
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. prune — the fruit

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