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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
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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: land · bay · kick · leaves · object · spell · perch · craft

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. object — an aim
  6. perch — the fish
  7. object — to protest
  8. land — to come down
  9. spell — magic
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. kick — in football
  12. land — a country
  13. craft — a skill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. craft — boats
  16. spell — a short time
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. land — ground
  20. object — a thing
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bay — a horse colour

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