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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · bat · tube · spell · charge · staff · last · track

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. last — to go on
  3. spell — a short time
  4. staff — employees
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. craft — a skill
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bat — the animal
  10. track — a path
  11. charge — in control
  12. tube — the underground
  13. craft — boats
  14. charge — a price
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. spell — magic
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. track — a song
  20. tube — a container
  21. last — final
  22. charge — electricity
  23. spell — letters
  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