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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: bulb · drill · bat · craft · face · rule · perch · mark

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. drill — army training
  7. bulb — for light
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. face — to point toward
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rule — government
  15. mark — a trace
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. face — to confront
  18. rule — a law
  19. mark — a grade
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bulb — for light

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