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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: straw · clip · band · craft · board · shower · nail · content

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. board — to get on
  4. clip — a video
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. craft — boats
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. clip — for paper
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. band — a ring
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. craft — a skill
  16. content — happy
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. content — the amount
  22. band — a music group
  23. clip — to cut
  24. nail — on a finger

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