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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: cap · spell · object · rash · kick · ground · craft · bark

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. spell — a short time
  4. kick — in football
  5. ground — the earth
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bark — to shout
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. object — to protest
  11. craft — a skill
  12. spell — magic
  13. cap — of ice
  14. object — a thing
  15. spell — letters
  16. object — an aim
  17. ground — a position
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cap — a lid
  20. craft — boats
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rash — a series

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