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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: game · mark · bank · last · leaves · craft · trunk · rush

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. last — finally
  5. craft — boats
  6. game — a match
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. last — to go on
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. game — wild animals
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. last — final
  15. bank — of a river
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rush — a thrill

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