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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: cabinet · wind · craft · deal · fine · rest

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. craft — boats
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — a break
  12. wind — moving air
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rest — what's left
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fine — all right
  18. wind — moving air

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