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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. spell — letters
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. suit — clothes
  5. content — happy
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stand — to bear
  10. suit — to fit
  11. can — a tin
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. content — the amount
  14. spell — magic
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. craft — a skill
  19. shower — rain
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. spell — a short time
  23. suit — in cards
  24. shower — to wash

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