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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 116 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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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: wave · mark · kick · stick · craft · band · fan · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a music group
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. band — a ring
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. craft — boats
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fall — to drop
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fall — the season
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mark — a trace
  22. kick — in football
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. craft — a handicraft

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