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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: sharp · craft · spell · lie · fall · ruler · snap · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. spring — of water
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. spring — the season
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. snap — to click
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fall — to drop
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fall — the season
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. spell — magic
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lie — to recline
  24. craft — boats

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