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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 120 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: last · craft · mine · current · cell · lie · spell · calf

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. last — to go on
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. current — happening now
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. craft — boats
  10. last — finally
  11. cell — a phone
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cell — in biology
  14. current — of water
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. last — final
  17. current — electric
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. spell — letters
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lie — to recline
  24. calf — a young animal

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