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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: saw · chip · craft · fork · cabinet · last · charge · nail

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. saw — the tool
  4. last — to go on
  5. charge — a price
  6. last — final
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. charge — in control
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. charge — electricity
  20. craft — boats
  21. chip — for betting
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. last — finally
  24. fork — a garden tool

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