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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: stick · coach · craft · snap · hand · spell · suit · fine

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spell — a short time
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. snap — to click
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. craft — boats
  14. fine — all right
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. fine — high quality
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. suit — in cards
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. craft — a skill

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