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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: charge · cabinet · can · last · bank · sharp · craft · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. last — final
  3. can — to be able to
  4. last — to go on
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bank — for money
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bank — for money
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. charge — a price
  15. last — finally
  16. can — a tin
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. can — a tin
  19. craft — boats
  20. charge — in control
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cabinet — ministers

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