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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. spell — a short time
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. drill — army training
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spell — magic
  11. branch — a division
  12. rush — hurry
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. craft — boats
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. craft — a skill
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. spell — letters
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. drill — a practice

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