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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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468
Word bank
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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mate — a partner
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. craft — boats
  5. deal — to handle
  6. spell — magic
  7. perch — the fish
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. can — a tin
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. can — a tin
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. craft — a skill

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