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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.

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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: pop · craft · rest · lean · mate · band · club · nail

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rest — what's left
  7. club — for dancing
  8. band — a music group
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rest — a break
  11. club — for golf
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. band — a ring
  15. pop — soda
  16. craft — a skill
  17. club — a group
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rest — what's left
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. nail — for a hammer

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