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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: row · bound · plane · club · bulb · craft · mate · wax

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mate — a partner
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bound — tied together
  10. club — for golf
  11. bulb — for light
  12. craft — a skill
  13. club — for dancing
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bound — certain
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mate — a friend
  19. row — a line
  20. craft — boats
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bound — obliged
  23. club — a group
  24. mate — to breed

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