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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.

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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: tear · fall · can · race · cue · trunk · craft · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fall — to drop
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. craft — boats
  7. tear — from crying
  8. can — a tin
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cue — for pool
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. cue — a hint
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. craft — a skill
  17. race — a contest
  18. cue — a signal
  19. race — the arms race
  20. tear — to rip
  21. can — a tin
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. can — to be able to
  24. race — humankind

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