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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: craft · cell · nail · cue · band · chest · spell · track

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. track — a path
  3. cue — for pool
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chest — of your body
  6. track — a song
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — a phone
  9. spell — a short time
  10. craft — a skill
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chest — a box
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cue — a hint
  15. track — to keep track
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. spell — letters
  18. band — a ring
  19. craft — boats
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cue — a signal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. chest — of your body
  24. spell — magic

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