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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · game · press · cell · craft · deal

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spell — magic
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. spell — a short time
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. craft — a skill
  11. press — to push
  12. deal — to handle
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cell — a phone
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. press — newspapers

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