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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · craft · track · nail · rock · chair · chest · tube

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. chest — a box
  3. craft — boats
  4. chest — of your body
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chair — a leader
  8. land — to come down
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. track — to keep track
  11. tube — a container
  12. craft — a skill
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. track — a path
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. land — ground
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. chest — of your body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. land — a country
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rock — music

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