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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. craft — boats
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. march — the month
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. hand — help
  19. march — the month
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. spell — letters
  22. march — music
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mine — for digging

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