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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: charge · coach · file · hand · track · dip · last · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. track — to keep track
  3. hand — help
  4. last — to go on
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. track — a path
  9. last — finally
  10. charge — electricity
  11. craft — boats
  12. hand — in cards
  13. last — final
  14. charge — in control
  15. track — a song
  16. dip — to sink
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. craft — a skill
  19. charge — a price
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. file — a document
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. coach — a trainer

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