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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
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: craft · spell · pitcher · racket · march · straw · lie · mug

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. craft — boats
  6. march — the month
  7. mug — a face
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. spell — magic
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. march — the month
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mug — a cup
  23. march — music
  24. craft — a skill

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