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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: season · deal · nail · sharp · trunk · rock · craft · toast

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. season — in sport
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. sharp — clever
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. season — of the year
  15. craft — a skill
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. craft — boats
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rock — a stone
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. toast — bread

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