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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 120 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: band · file · spell · cabinet · fork · lash · saw · craft

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. spell — a short time
  7. band — a ring
  8. craft — a skill
  9. file — a tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. craft — boats
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. file — a document
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. band — a music group
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. spell — magic

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