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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: cell · craft · coach · wake · fan · nail · scale · land

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wake — a trail
  5. scale — in music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. craft — boats
  12. cell — a phone
  13. land — ground
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. land — to come down
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. craft — a skill
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cell — in biology
  22. land — a country
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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