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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · can · chip · chest · saw · leaves · craft · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. chest — a box
  3. can — a tin
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. row — to paddle
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bank — of a river
  8. row — a line
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bank — for money
  15. can — to be able to
  16. chest — of your body
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chip — to eat
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chest — of your body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. bank — for money

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