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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. saw — the tool
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. dip — to sink
  7. current — of water
  8. spell — a short time
  9. craft — boats
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. spell — magic
  12. current — electric
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. current — happening now
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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