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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: saw · coach · wound · craft · spell · cabinet · mouse · bank

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. spell — letters
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wound — an injury
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spell — magic
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. craft — boats
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bank — of a river
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — the tool

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