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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 116 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: spell · rush · bark · game · present · craft · face · pit

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bark — to shout
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. game — a match
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. craft — a skill
  12. face — part of the head
  13. present — a gift
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spell — letters
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. face — to confront
  20. present — the time now
  21. craft — boats
  22. present — there
  23. spell — magic
  24. face — to point toward

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