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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 · wind · fine · chair · fall · roll · bay · staff

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fall — to drop
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. staff — employees
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fall — to drop
  11. craft — boats
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. chair — a leader
  14. roll — a list
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wind — moving air
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fall — the season
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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