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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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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bound — certain
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. spell — letters
  7. craft — boats
  8. toast — bread
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. spell — a short time
  11. band — a music group
  12. hand — help
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bound — obliged
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. perch — the fish
  17. band — a ring
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mark — a trace
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. craft — a skill
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bound — tied together

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