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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: wake · sharp · current · last · file · cap · saw · craft

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. current — of water
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. saw — the tool
  7. file — a tool
  8. sharp — clever
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. current — happening now
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. file — a document
  13. last — to go on
  14. craft — a skill
  15. current — electric
  16. cap — a lid
  17. file — a line of people
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. last — finally
  21. cap — a hat
  22. craft — boats
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. last — final

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