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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: craft · last · stick · fall · saw · perch · board · land

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. perch — the fish
  3. last — finally
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. last — to go on
  8. saw — the tool
  9. land — a country
  10. fall — to drop
  11. craft — a skill
  12. land — ground
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. craft — boats
  16. board — a committee
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. board — to get on
  22. fall — the season
  23. last — final
  24. land — to come down

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