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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. root — the cause
  4. mark — a grade
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mark — a trace
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. clip — for paper
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. craft — boats
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. spell — letters
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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