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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — boats
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. foot — a measure
  11. spell — letters
  12. snap — to click
  13. game — a match
  14. ball — a dance
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. game — a kind of play

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