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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: craft · wake · face · coach · object · hand · nail · saw

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. craft — a skill
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. object — an aim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. object — to protest
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — to point toward
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. craft — boats
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wake — a trail
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. object — a thing
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

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