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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. sharp — clever
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. craft — boats
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. band — a ring
  11. rock — a stone
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. spell — magic
  19. band — a music group
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rock — music
  23. spell — a short time
  24. deal — a big deal

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