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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: band · lash · key · craft · date · net · toast · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. craft — boats
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. net — for catching
  11. toast — bread
  12. key — the most important part
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. date — the fruit
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. key — in music
  19. net — after costs
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. net — in sport
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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