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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 120 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: cell · chip · scale · spell · craft · saw · cabinet · wind

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wind — moving air
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. spell — a short time
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. spell — magic
  10. chip — to eat
  11. scale — in music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. craft — boats
  17. spell — letters
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — a phone
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. craft — a skill

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