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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 · cabinet · wake · hand · date · band · root · mug

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. root — of a plant
  4. craft — boats
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. band — a ring
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. craft — a skill
  11. root — the cause
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mug — a cup
  14. hand — help
  15. band — a music group
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. date — the fruit
  18. mug — a face
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mug — to rob
  23. root — of a word
  24. cabinet — ministers

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