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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. spell — a short time
  3. fork — in a road
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. craft — boats
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — in sport
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pop — soda
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. spell — magic
  14. board — to get on
  15. net — for catching
  16. pop — to visit
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spell — letters
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. net — after costs
  24. pop — music

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