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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: wake · can · craft · bear · board · stem · last · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. board — to get on
  6. craft — boats
  7. stem — to come from
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. last — to go on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. last — final
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bear — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. board — a committee
  19. last — finally
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bear — the animal
  22. file — a tool
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. can — a tin

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