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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: charge · bank · game · last · bark · plane · fan · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. game — a match
  4. craft — a skill
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. charge — a price
  7. craft — boats
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. last — to go on
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bank — for money
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — in control
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. last — final
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. charge — electricity
  24. last — finally

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