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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 116 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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — letters
  8. can — a tin
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spell — a short time
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. swing — to play on
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. face — to confront
  15. swing — in golf
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. can — a tin
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. prune — to trim
  22. face — to point toward
  23. spell — magic
  24. swing — music

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