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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 120 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. charge — a price
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. craft — a skill
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bulb — for light
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. kid — child
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. craft — boats
  24. spell — letters

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