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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. spell — a short time
  4. squash — to crush
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. squash — the sport
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mine — for digging
  20. craft — boats
  21. spell — letters
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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