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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
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: straw · nail · fall · spell · bear · craft · plane · fine

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. craft — a skill
  3. spell — letters
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. craft — boats
  7. plane — a tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fall — the season
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fall — to drop
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. spell — a short time

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