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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 120 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 · kick · craft · tube · content · pass · cell · season

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. tube — a container
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cell — in biology
  7. season — of the year
  8. craft — boats
  9. kick — in football
  10. season — in sport
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. content — the amount
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. craft — a skill
  23. content — happy
  24. kick — with a leg

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