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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · tube · land · scale · press · arm · root · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. land — to come down
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tube — the underground
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. press — to push
  9. root — of a word
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. root — the cause
  12. press — a publisher
  13. root — of a plant
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. press — newspapers
  16. land — a country
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. tube — a container
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. scale — in music
  22. land — ground
  23. scale — size or range
  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