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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. spell — a short time
  5. craft — a skill
  6. spell — magic
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. spell — letters
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. hand — help
  14. rule — government
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chest — of your body
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. rush — hurry
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rule — a law
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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