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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. craft — boats
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rest — a break
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mine — for digging
  21. spell — magic
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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