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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spell — magic
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. spell — a short time
  5. craft — a skill
  6. face — to point toward
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rush — hurry
  9. squash — the sport
  10. face — part of the head
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. spell — letters
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. hand — help
  21. craft — boats
  22. squash — to crush
  23. face — to confront
  24. pitcher — a jug

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