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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. craft — boats
  3. net — in sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. net — after costs
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. root — of a plant
  9. squash — the sport
  10. root — the cause
  11. net — for catching
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. kick — in football
  17. spell — letters
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. root — of a word
  20. squash — to crush
  21. craft — a skill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spell — a short time
  24. nail — on a finger

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