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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.

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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: craft · rush · spell · object · pitcher · hide · cap · swing

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cap — of ice
  7. object — an aim
  8. swing — to play on
  9. spell — magic
  10. craft — boats
  11. cap — a lid
  12. object — a thing
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cap — a hat
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. swing — music
  21. spell — letters
  22. object — to protest
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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