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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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468
Word bank
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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. craft — a skill
  4. snap — to click
  5. spell — magic
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pit — in a race
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. scale — in music
  16. net — after costs
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pit — a hole
  20. net — in sport
  21. craft — boats
  22. object — a thing
  23. net — for catching
  24. spell — letters

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