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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. clip — for paper
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. craft — a skill
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chest — of your body
  10. suit — clothes
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chip — to eat
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. clip — to cut
  19. plane — a tool
  20. suit — to fit
  21. clip — a video
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chest — a box
  24. craft — a handicraft

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