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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: nail · hand · craft · bulb · perch · mug · fine · wound

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wound — an injury
  3. craft — boats
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fine — all right
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mug — a cup
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fine — high quality
  20. hand — help
  21. mug — to rob
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. perch — the fish

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