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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: craft · saw · rash · field · coach · staff · suit · last

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rash — a series
  5. staff — employees
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. suit — to fit
  9. craft — boats
  10. field — farmland
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. last — to go on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rash — hasty
  16. last — final
  17. field — a subject
  18. staff — employees
  19. craft — a skill
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. last — finally
  22. field — for sport
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. saw — 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