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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.

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: arm · craft · racket · snap · nail · ball · spring · shower

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. shower — rain
  6. craft — boats
  7. shower — to wash
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spring — the season
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ball — a great time
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. craft — a skill
  21. snap — to click
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. arm — a part of something

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