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

Word bank: fork · swing · mate · nail · current · craft · tear · band

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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. fork — to eat with
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. craft — a skill
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. swing — music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. craft — boats
  14. mate — a friend
  15. band — a ring
  16. swing — to play on
  17. current — happening now
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. band — a music group
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. swing — in golf
  24. tear — to rip

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