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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.

Make a worksheet

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: field · file · fine · bear · wave · tube · staff · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. fine — all right
  5. tube — a container
  6. field — for sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. field — farmland
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bear — the animal
  14. field — a subject
  15. file — a line of people
  16. staff — employees
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. staff — employees
  19. craft — boats
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. tube — the underground
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. craft — a handicraft

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