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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.

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 · rash · ball · spell · suit · mine · bark · present

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. spell — a short time
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. spell — magic
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. suit — clothes
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. present — a gift
  10. rash — a series
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. mine — for digging
  15. spell — letters
  16. present — there
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bark — to shout
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. present — the time now
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. ball — a dance

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