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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: saw · mine · mug · craft · ground · spell · snap · cell

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mine — for digging
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. spell — a short time
  8. ground — the earth
  9. craft — boats
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. snap — to click
  13. mug — a face
  14. ground — a position
  15. spell — letters
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cell — in biology
  20. spell — magic
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cell — a phone
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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