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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · craft · foot · nail · lean · hand

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. hand — help
  5. lean — thin
  6. hand — in cards
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. craft — boats
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lean — to bend
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pop — soda

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