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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. suit — in cards
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. net — after costs
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. band — a ring
  10. land — to come down
  11. suit — to fit
  12. net — for catching
  13. craft — boats
  14. band — a music group
  15. net — in sport
  16. suit — clothes
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. land — ground
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. snap — to click
  24. foot — part of the body

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