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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
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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: roll · craft · spell · plane · mine · game · rush · mug

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mug — to rob
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. craft — boats
  6. mug — a face
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mine — for digging
  9. roll — a list
  10. game — wild animals
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rush — hurry
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. craft — a skill
  22. roll — a cake
  23. mug — a cup
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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