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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: craft · stick · bat · bank · lie · spell · sharp · board

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bank — for money
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. craft — boats
  7. spell — magic
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. board — a committee
  13. bank — for money
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — to get on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bat — the animal
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. sharp — exactly

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