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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
468
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: mouse · game · craft · nail · pass · last · chair · stem

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pass — a permit
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. last — to go on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. game — a match
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. last — final
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stem — to come from
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. game — wild animals
  24. last — finally

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