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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 · rash · craft · toast · staff · ball · row · last

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. last — finally
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rash — a series
  5. toast — bread
  6. craft — boats
  7. last — final
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ball — a dance
  10. staff — employees
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. craft — a skill
  14. staff — employees
  15. last — to go on
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. row — to paddle
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. staff — a stick
  24. row — a line

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