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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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 — magic
  2. mug — a cup
  3. craft — a skill
  4. roll — a cake
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mug — a face
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pop — music
  14. tube — a container
  15. roll — a list
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pop — to visit
  18. spell — a short time
  19. craft — boats
  20. snap — to click
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pop — soda
  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