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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spell — magic
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. spell — letters
  6. firm — a company
  7. scale — size or range
  8. saw — the tool
  9. scale — in music
  10. firm — steady
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wind — moving air
  13. deal — to handle
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. firm — decided
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spell — a short time
  20. saw — the tool
  21. craft — boats
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. craft — a skill
  24. nail — for a hammer

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