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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: march · mug · shower · mate · can · craft · staff · nail

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mate — a partner
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — to breed
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mug — a cup
  10. can — a tin
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. march — the month
  13. staff — a stick
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. shower — to wash
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. shower — rain
  23. can — to be able to
  24. staff — employees

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