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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. craft — a skill
  8. spell — a short time
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bound — obliged
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bound — certain
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bound — tied together
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. club — a group
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. club — for golf
  22. spell — letters
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. craft — boats

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