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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. key — in music
  3. cap — of ice
  4. spell — a short time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spell — letters
  7. saw — the tool
  8. season — in sport
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mate — to breed
  14. craft — boats
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cap — a hat
  19. craft — a skill
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mate — a partner
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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