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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mug — a face
  3. bore — to drill
  4. craft — boats
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cold — an illness
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spell — letters
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cold — not warm
  17. craft — a skill
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bore — gave birth

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