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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: can · shower · nail · pit · craft · wave · stick · kid

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pit — in a race
  7. can — a tin
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pit — a hole
  13. can — a tin
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. craft — boats
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. kid — child
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. craft — a skill

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