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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 120 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: bank · craft · cabinet · sharp · swing · nail · hide · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. craft — boats
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bank — for money
  7. craft — a skill
  8. fall — to drop
  9. swing — in golf
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bank — for money
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bank — of a river
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fall — to drop
  18. swing — to play on
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. swing — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — clever

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