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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: chest · present · cold · nail · craft · mark · stand · fork

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cold — an illness
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. chest — a box
  7. fork — in a road
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. present — the time now
  12. chest — of your body
  13. present — a gift
  14. mark — a grade
  15. present — there
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cold — not warm
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. craft — boats
  23. chest — of your body
  24. nail — for a hammer

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