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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 120 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: nail · craft · lash · bore · mug · land · shower · staff

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mug — a cup
  3. staff — employees
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. land — to come down
  11. craft — boats
  12. land — ground
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. shower — rain
  16. bore — to drill
  17. staff — employees
  18. bore — to tire
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. staff — a stick
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. land — a country
  23. shower — to wash
  24. craft — a skill

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