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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.

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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: net · squash · chip · craft · spell · shower · hand · saw

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. spell — letters
  6. chip — to eat
  7. saw — the tool
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. spell — magic
  14. net — for catching
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. squash — to crush
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hand — in cards
  20. squash — the sport
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. hand — help
  23. chip — for betting
  24. squash — the vegetable

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