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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: scale · craft · straw · nail · band · bark · toast · staff

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. staff — a stick
  4. craft — boats
  5. bark — to shout
  6. band — a ring
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. staff — employees
  9. craft — a skill
  10. band — a music group
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. toast — bread
  16. scale — in music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. staff — employees
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. scale — size or range
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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