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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.

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 · craft · cap · mate · spring · lie · rush · current

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mate — to breed
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. cap — of ice
  8. spring — of water
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. current — happening now
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. current — electric
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mate — a partner
  18. spell — letters
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. spell — magic
  21. current — of water
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lie — to recline
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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