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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. band — a ring
  5. bass — the fish
  6. staff — a stick
  7. craft — boats
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. craft — a skill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bass — low music
  19. band — a music group
  20. cap — a lid
  21. staff — employees
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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