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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cell — in biology
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cell — a phone
  6. spell — letters
  7. shower — to wash
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. content — the amount
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. foot — a measure
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. spell — magic
  16. shower — rain
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. content — happy
  19. craft — boats
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. club — for dancing

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