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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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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 · kid · ground · fan · stand · rest · lie · craft

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ground — a position
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rest — a break
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. kid — child
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kid — to tease
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — to recline
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. craft — boats
  24. fan — to cool the air

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