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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 · spring · rock · bay · hand · march · can · spell

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. can — to be able to
  3. spring — a coil
  4. march — the month
  5. spell — letters
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rock — music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. spring — the season
  11. spell — magic
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. can — a tin
  14. march — the month
  15. spell — a short time
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rock — a stone
  20. spring — of water
  21. hand — help
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. can — a tin
  24. craft — a skill

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