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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: craft · nail · wind · lie · dip · foot · prune · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. craft — a skill
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. track — a path
  9. prune — to trim
  10. craft — boats
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wind — moving air
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lie — to recline
  20. prune — to trim
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wind — moving air
  24. nail — for a hammer

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