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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 · saw · foot · land · firm · spell · present · craft

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. saw — the tool
  3. present — there
  4. land — a country
  5. firm — decided
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. craft — boats
  8. spell — magic
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spell — letters
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. foot — a measure
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. firm — steady
  15. present — a gift
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. firm — a company
  18. present — the time now
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. spell — a short time
  21. craft — a skill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. land — ground

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