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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mark — a grade
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wax — to grow
  5. spell — magic
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. row — a line
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. face — part of the head
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mark — a trace
  14. shower — rain
  15. spell — a short time
  16. face — to confront
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. squash — the sport
  21. face — to point toward
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. shower — to wash
  24. craft — boats

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