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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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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: cue · bowl · cabinet · craft · arm · wind · bulb · last

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bulb — for light
  3. last — finally
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. craft — boats
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cue — for pool
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wind — moving air

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