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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. club — for golf
  4. prune — to trim
  5. club — a group
  6. current — happening now
  7. kick — in football
  8. craft — boats
  9. face — to point toward
  10. prune — to trim
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. face — to confront
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. face — part of the head
  20. current — of water
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. current — electric
  23. club — for dancing
  24. kick — with a leg

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