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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mine — for digging
  3. suit — in cards
  4. firm — a company
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. craft — boats
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. craft — a skill
  12. spell — letters
  13. file — a tool
  14. suit — clothes
  15. date — the fruit
  16. firm — steady
  17. snap — to click
  18. firm — decided
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. suit — to fit
  21. file — a line of people
  22. spell — magic
  23. file — a document
  24. mine — belonging to me

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