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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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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 · staff · rush · field · nail · craft · prune · saw

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. staff — a stick
  3. craft — boats
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — hurry
  14. field — a subject
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. prune — to trim
  17. craft — a skill
  18. prune — to trim
  19. staff — employees
  20. tube — a container
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tube — the underground

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