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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 116 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: snap · spring · season · nail · rest · shower · craft · file

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rest — what's left
  5. season — in sport
  6. file — a tool
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rest — a break
  9. spring — a coil
  10. craft — boats
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. file — a document
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. shower — rain
  15. file — a line of people
  16. craft — a skill
  17. spring — of water
  18. snap — to click
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. season — of the year
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. shower — to wash

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