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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.

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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
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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 · spell · straw · pit · bore · rash · spring · fine

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. craft — a skill
  8. spring — the season
  9. bore — to drill
  10. craft — boats
  11. fine — all right
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. spring — of water
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rash — a series
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bore — to tire
  21. spell — magic
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rash — hasty
  24. spell — letters

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