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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.

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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: game · fall · wake · staff · bark · craft · mark · fan

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. craft — boats
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. game — wild animals
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mark — a grade
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fall — to drop
  9. staff — employees
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. game — a match
  13. fall — the season
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — employees
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mark — to pay attention

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