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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: stick · bass · staff · nail · craft · drill · fan · saw

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — boats
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. drill — a practice
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. drill — army training
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bass — low music
  23. staff — employees
  24. drill — the tool

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