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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. spell — letters
  2. pound — a weight
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chest — of your body
  5. spell — magic
  6. chest — a box
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mark — a grade
  14. craft — boats
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bulb — for light
  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