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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. spell — magic
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. club — for golf
  11. mark — a trace
  12. spell — letters
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. club — a group
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mark — a grade
  17. spell — a short time
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. club — for dancing
  24. craft — a skill

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