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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 120 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stock — shares
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. spell — letters
  6. stock — goods
  7. craft — boats
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rash — hasty
  10. spell — a short time
  11. board — a committee
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. board — to get on
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rash — a series
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. craft — a handicraft

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