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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: craft · bulb · staff · lash · board · bound · drill · row

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bound — tied together
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. staff — a stick
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bound — certain
  14. craft — a skill
  15. staff — employees
  16. bound — obliged
  17. drill — army training
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. drill — the tool
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bulb — for light
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. craft — boats
  24. drill — a practice

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