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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
468
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 · craft · hide · court · fan · fall · board · arm

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. craft — boats
  4. wake — a trail
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. board — to get on
  7. court — of law
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. board — a committee
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fall — the season
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fall — to drop
  19. court — of a king
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. court — for sport
  24. craft — a handicraft

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