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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 · rash · last · wind · craft · sharp · wake · ruler

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wind — moving air
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. last — final
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rash — a series
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. craft — a skill
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. craft — boats

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