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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: mine · craft · dip · roll · can · ruler · net · spell

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. dip — to sink
  3. craft — a skill
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. can — a tin
  8. mine — for digging
  9. can — a tin
  10. roll — a cake
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. spell — a short time
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. spell — letters
  18. net — after costs
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. spell — magic
  21. net — in sport
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. net — for catching
  24. roll — a list

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