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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 · mouse · object · firm · prune · wound · band · nail

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. object — a thing
  5. band — a ring
  6. firm — decided
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. band — a music group
  11. prune — to trim
  12. object — an aim
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. prune — to trim
  20. firm — steady
  21. object — to protest
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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