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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. craft — a skill
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. track — a song
  11. band — a ring
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. hand — help
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. track — a path
  20. mine — for digging
  21. saw — the tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. band — a music group
  24. mine — an explosive

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