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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. craft — a skill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. land — a country
  12. snap — to click
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. wake — a trail
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. land — ground
  22. spell — letters
  23. land — to come down
  24. fan — a supporter

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