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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: drill · deal · craft · chip · staff · wake · fan · current

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. current — happening now
  3. craft — boats
  4. staff — a stick
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chip — to eat
  14. staff — employees
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. craft — a skill
  18. drill — army training
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. current — of water
  21. staff — employees
  22. current — electric
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. drill — the tool

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