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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. craft — boats
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rock — a stone
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fine — all right
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chest — a box
  17. tear — from crying
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. chest — of your body
  20. tear — to rip
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rock — music
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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