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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: hand · can · mine · craft · board · suit · spell · hide

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. craft — boats
  3. spell — a short time
  4. craft — a skill
  5. hand — in cards
  6. board — a committee
  7. hand — help
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spell — letters
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mine — for digging
  12. spell — magic
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. can — a tin
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. board — to get on

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