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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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 — a short time
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spell — letters
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. capital — money
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. dip — to sink
  17. capital — a city
  18. mine — for digging
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. can — a tin
  21. spell — magic
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. can — a tin
  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