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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: tube · nail · cap · rash · craft · key · fan · deal

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. craft — boats
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cap — a lid
  11. deal — to handle
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. tube — a container
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. key — in music
  19. cap — of ice
  20. tube — the underground
  21. craft — a skill
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cap — a hat
  24. deal — a big deal

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