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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spell — magic
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cap — of ice
  8. season — of the year
  9. cap — a hat
  10. craft — a skill
  11. press — newspapers
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. saw — the tool
  15. craft — boats
  16. press — a publisher
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cap — a lid
  20. season — in sport
  21. spell — letters
  22. press — to push
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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