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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: can · file · craft · arm · pass · wake · nail · spring

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. file — a tool
  5. craft — boats
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pass — a permit
  12. spring — of water
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. craft — a skill
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. can — a tin
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. file — a document
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. file — a line of people
  23. can — to be able to
  24. spring — the season

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