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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: last · kid · craft · tube · cabinet · suit · stick · staff

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. staff — employees
  5. craft — boats
  6. last — finally
  7. tube — the underground
  8. staff — a stick
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. last — final
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. kid — to tease
  14. staff — employees
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. kid — child
  21. craft — a skill
  22. last — to go on
  23. tube — a container
  24. suit — clothes

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