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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.

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
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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: craft · wave · chair · capital · drill · spell

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. drill — a practice
  6. capital — money
  7. craft — boats
  8. chair — a leader
  9. spell — letters
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. capital — a city
  18. spell — magic

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