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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
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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 · nail · wave · chest · chair · band · net · last

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. net — after costs
  3. chair — a leader
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. last — to go on
  6. net — in sport
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. last — finally
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. net — for catching
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. band — a music group
  21. chest — a box
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. last — final
  24. band — a ring

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