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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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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: nail · stand · craft · land · arm · tube · branch · degree

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. land — to come down
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. branch — a division
  5. stand — to bear
  6. tube — the underground
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. degree — from a university
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. land — ground
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. degree — temperature
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. degree — an amount
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. craft — a skill
  20. land — a country
  21. tube — a container
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. craft — boats

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