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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: craft · mug · perch · tube · tear · band · nail · fan

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mug — to rob
  4. tear — from crying
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. perch — the fish
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. craft — boats
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. band — a ring
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tube — a container
  17. band — a music group
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mug — a face
  24. band — a rubber band

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