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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bat — the animal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. spring — the season
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. spell — magic
  8. craft — a skill
  9. season — in sport
  10. spring — of water
  11. craft — boats
  12. spell — letters
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. chip — for betting
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chip — to eat
  18. season — of the year
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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