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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. spell — a short time
  8. club — a group
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. spell — magic
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bear — the animal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. capital — a city
  16. pop — music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. club — for golf
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pop — soda
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. capital — money

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