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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. band — a music group
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. craft — boats
  9. drill — a practice
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. tear — from crying
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bank — for money
  14. drill — army training
  15. bank — for money
  16. tear — from crying
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. drill — the tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tear — to rip
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. band — a ring
  24. nail — on a finger

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