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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ground — a position
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cap — a lid
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spring — of water
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. spring — the season
  24. hide — to keep secret

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