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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: spell · snap · craft · trunk · perch · board · mug · shower

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mug — a cup
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. shower — rain
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mug — a face
  9. perch — the fish
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. craft — boats
  13. snap — to click
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. craft — a skill
  17. board — a committee
  18. shower — to wash
  19. spell — a short time
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mug — to rob

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