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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.

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: cold · spell · mate · craft · mug · fine · cue · net

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. fine — all right
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cue — a hint
  5. net — in sport
  6. spell — magic
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cold — not warm
  12. spell — letters
  13. mug — a face
  14. cue — for pool
  15. net — for catching
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — an illness
  20. craft — boats
  21. mate — to breed
  22. net — after costs
  23. fine — high quality
  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