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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · trunk · cap · kick · row · craft · mine · ball

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mine — for digging
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. craft — boats
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. spell — magic
  10. kick — in football
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cap — a lid
  14. spell — letters
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. spell — a short time
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cap — of ice
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cap — a hat

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