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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. craft — boats
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. spring — a coil
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. craft — a skill
  16. current — of water
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. current — electric
  21. foot — a measure
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. current — happening now

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