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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. craft — boats
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. branch — a division
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fine — all right
  9. craft — a skill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. tube — the underground
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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