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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 116 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: sharp · trunk · spell · fork · craft · row · last · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. row — a line
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. craft — boats
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. last — final
  9. fork — in a road
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. craft — a skill
  12. staff — a stick
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. staff — employees
  16. sharp — clever
  17. spell — letters
  18. last — finally
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. last — to go on

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