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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mark — a grade
  5. band — a music group
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. snap — to click
  10. mate — to breed
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. branch — a division
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mate — a partner
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mark — a trace
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. craft — boats
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. band — a ring
  24. craft — a handicraft

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