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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. craft — a skill
  3. row — a line
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. rush — hurry
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. spell — magic
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lean — thin
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. spring — a coil
  17. craft — boats
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. spring — the season
  20. hand — help
  21. row — to paddle
  22. lean — to bend
  23. spring — of water
  24. row — a quarrel

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