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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: craft · staff · fine · spring · roll · kid · nail · mug

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. staff — a stick
  3. spring — of water
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. staff — employees
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mug — a cup
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mug — to rob
  11. staff — employees
  12. fine — all right
  13. craft — a skill
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mug — a face
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. craft — boats
  24. nail — on a finger

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