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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spell — magic
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spell — letters
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. object — a thing
  11. field — farmland
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. craft — boats
  16. field — for sport
  17. foot — a measure
  18. object — an aim
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. object — to protest
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. field — a subject
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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