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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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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 · plane · ball · staff · mug · object · kid

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. spell — magic
  3. kid — to tease
  4. ball — a great time
  5. kid — child
  6. spell — a short time
  7. craft — a skill
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mug — a face
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mug — to rob
  12. craft — boats
  13. object — an aim
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — a thing
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mug — a cup
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. plane — a tool
  23. object — to protest
  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