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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: rock · staff · bank · craft · plane · chip · last · kick

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. staff — a stick
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bank — for money
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. craft — boats
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bank — of a river
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. craft — a skill
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. bank — for money
  21. rock — a stone
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. craft — a handicraft

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