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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: sharp · wake · season · saw · craft · board · lash · field

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. saw — the tool
  3. board — a committee
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wake — a trail
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. saw — the tool
  11. board — to get on
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. field — a subject
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. field — for sport
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. craft — boats
  19. season — of the year
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. field — farmland
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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