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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 120 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: wave · craft · ruler · game · stick · fall · club · nail

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fall — the season
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. club — for golf
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. game — a match
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. craft — boats
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. club — a group
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ruler — for measuring

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