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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.

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: bowl · fan · wake · row · staff · craft · mark · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. staff — employees
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. file — a document
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. staff — employees
  15. row — a line
  16. file — a tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wake — a trail
  23. craft — boats
  24. fan — a supporter

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