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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bulb — for light
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bulb — for light
  7. craft — boats
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. roll — a cake
  14. face — to confront
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tear — to rip
  18. craft — a skill
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bank — of a river
  22. face — part of the head
  23. roll — a list
  24. tear — from crying

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