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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 · mug · pit · spell · band · nail · chest · tube

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. chest — a box
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chest — of your body
  5. spell — a short time
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mug — a face
  12. craft — a skill
  13. chest — of your body
  14. band — a ring
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pit — in a race
  17. craft — boats
  18. spell — letters
  19. tube — a container
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. spell — magic

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