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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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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: can · craft · toast · kid · club · mate · wind · band

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. wind — moving air
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. craft — a skill
  5. can — a tin
  6. kid — child
  7. band — a ring
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. band — a music group
  13. wind — moving air
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. club — for golf
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. craft — boats
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. mate — a partner
  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