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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. file — a tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. spell — letters
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spell — magic
  17. file — a document
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fine — all right
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. craft — boats
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fine — high quality

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