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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. spell — letters
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lean — thin
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. spell — magic
  17. march — music
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. craft — a skill
  21. march — the month
  22. wake — a trail
  23. craft — boats
  24. lean — to bend

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