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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: nail · lie · fine · craft · scale · plane · track · tube

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tube — the underground
  8. track — a path
  9. craft — a skill
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. tube — a container
  12. scale — size or range
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. plane — a tool
  15. scale — in music
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. track — a song
  23. lie — to recline
  24. tube — in a tire

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