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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. craft — a skill
  3. spell — magic
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. key — in music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. game — a match
  8. mine — for digging
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. craft — boats
  11. key — for a lock
  12. game — wild animals
  13. current — electric
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bear — the animal
  16. current — of water
  17. spell — letters
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. dip — to sink
  20. key — the most important part
  21. current — happening now
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mine — an explosive

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