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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: spell · mate · hand · mine · bank · saw · rash · craft

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mine — for digging
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. spell — letters
  9. bank — for money
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — help
  14. mate — a friend
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bank — of a river
  18. saw — the tool
  19. craft — boats
  20. rash — hasty
  21. spell — magic
  22. rash — a series
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bank — for money

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