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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. spell — magic
  6. dip — to sink
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. spell — letters
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. season — of the year
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. craft — boats
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. track — a path
  19. mark — a trace
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. track — to keep track
  23. spell — a short time
  24. deal — to handle

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