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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. spell — letters
  5. roll — a cake
  6. craft — a skill
  7. can — a tin
  8. wake — a trail
  9. spell — a short time
  10. band — a ring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. can — to be able to
  13. spell — magic
  14. band — a music group
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. sharp — clever
  19. roll — a list
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — boats
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. craft — a handicraft

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